


Come Play With Me

by lexzilla



Category: Actor RPF, CW Network RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: AU, M/M, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-27
Updated: 2010-09-27
Packaged: 2017-10-12 06:04:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/121635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lexzilla/pseuds/lexzilla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Film geek Jared Padalecki is almost living the dream. He's gone from excitable horror-convention-going fanboy to hot new cult film director in just five years. Now he has the budget, the studio and the stars. All he still needs to do is convince long forgotten B-movie actor Jensen Ackles that he wants to play the leading man in more than just his new movie and then it really will be 'happily ever after'. Of course, in life, just like in the movies, true love never runs smoothly...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come Play With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Art by the amazing GWENTASTIC. Written for spn_j2_bigbang

Trailer

It was, Jared thought while cradling the cherished new release in his hands, possibly one of the most lurid video covers he’d ever seen.

 _“Pretty boys are made for men…to hunt! Set your sights on the tastiest game of them all” ran the tagline in bright, blood red letters, emblazoned on a naked male torso, the groin area hidden by shots of multiple Jensen Ackles in various states of semi naked disarray, screaming and running in different directions while behind was a group of heavily mustached men wielding guns, cross bows and axes._

Twink Hunt was going to be the best film ever. Or at least one of many diamonds in the rough that he and Chad encountered in their never ending quest to watch every low budget exploitation, sexploitation, blacksploitation, nunsploitation and splatter gore-fest type film they could get their hands on. All on video of course, because no good films ever showed at their local multiplex.

And as if choice dialogue, jungle locales, nude flesh and stunning violence weren’t enough, it also starred low-budget favorite Jensen Ackles, the prettiest boy to ever grace a movie screen and well, for Jared, that just made everything better.

He knew what he’d be doing that evening.

Main Feature Part 1

“Jared. Jared,” Chad was shouting as he came running towards him at full speed, waving something around maniacally. “We’ve got to go. It’s gonna be fucking amazing. Seriously. Best. Event. Ever. In the whole history of ever. A once in a lifetime thing, dude.”

Jared smiled as his best bud approached. The two of them had met when they were both twelve and had bonded over their love of all things sugary, when feeding their pocket money into the school vending machine to get to the tasty treats inside. Hanging out during breaks at school had soon turned into spending all their free periods and lunch together, which then escalated into hanging out during all their free time which meant only one thing. Sleepovers. In the most manly sense of the word of course - Jared wrapped in a Superman comforter and Chad wearing his Batman jammies. To further increase the macho quota, they started watching cheesy horror films that the man in the local video store would rent to them, despite their age. What started as something done for appearances’ sake though, soon turned into a major passion for both of them and by the ripe old ages of nineteen they’d traveled the world of gore via the small screen.

And yet in all that time, Jared had never seen Chad as emphatically excited as he seemed to be in that moment when windmilling towards him. Whatever it was, was going to be pretty good.

“Oh man, we are so going to this.”

“What?” Jared questioned.

Chad held the magazine open in front of him and Jared practically had to restrain the overzealous man before he could read the damn thing, he was shaking so hard.

Oh! Sweet Jesus.

BE HERE NOW! TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR, COME SEE IT FOR AS LOW AS $20 FRIDAY, $25 SATURDAY AND SUNDAY OR $65 FOR A FULL WEEKEND PASS! YOU CAN’T MISS IT!

  
It's about time: The world's most popular convention for fans of sleaze, gore and horror comes to San Antonio! Exploited Magazine has teamed up with Gorehounds-O-Rama Entertainment and are proud to present a giant non-stop roller coaster three days of horror-rific fun to the great fans in the area! Featuring a line up that only Satan himself could put together - tons of guests, autograph sessions, panels, inside info, movie previews, dealers, collectables, screenings and so much more! Make peace with your maker so you can be with us for the action....

GUESTS INCLUDE

Jeffrey Combs  
Re-Animator, From Beyond, Frightmare, The Phantom Empire (SATURDAY)

Udo Kier  
Blood For Dracula, Mark Of the Devil, Suspiria, Dr Jekyll And His Women (FRIDAY)

Sid Haig  
Spider Baby, The Big Doll House, The Big Bird Cage, Galaxy Of Terror (SATURDAY)

Jesus Franco panel and screening  
Director Jesus Franco (Bare Breasted Countess, Succubus, Vampiros Lesbos) will be here to show his new film Lust For Frankenstein. Plus panel guests Lina Romay (Bare Breasted Countess, Justine, Wicked Warden) and Michelle Bauer (Bikini Drive-In, Demented) (SUNDAY)

Judy Brown  
Women In Cages, Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off, Psychic Killer (SATURDAY)

Jensen Ackles  
Twink Hunt, Space Station Sexcapade, Devour (SUNDAY)

Jim Kelly  
Enter the Dragon, Black Samurai, Death Dimension (FRIDAY)

Ken Forree  
Death Spa, Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, From Beyond (FRIDAY)

BONUS ATTRACTIONS:  
Creepy costume contest, ghoulish games room, perverts party, feisty film room, menacing merchant marketplace and much more.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS:  
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN, AT MIDNIGHT I’LL STEAL YOUR SOUL, THE CORPSE GRINDERS, DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING, DON’T GO IN THE HOUSE, THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK, BLOOD AND BLACK LACE, SCHOOL OF THE HOLY BEAST, BLIND BEAST and more!

Finally managing to tear his eyes away from the advert announcing what amounted to his own personal holy grail, Jared turned in an attempt to say something, anything, to Chad but found the most he could manage was a rather guppy-like opening and closing of the jaw.

“I know,” Chad smugly enthused while bouncing up and down and pointing at his friend. “I told you so, Jare. I told you it was this huge fantastic thing and you were all like, whatever. But now tell me you’re not as psyched as I am.”

“I…I want…Uh…Really?”

“Yes,” came the reply, punctuated by vigorous head nodding.

“Dude. You’re right,” Jared said, voice filled with wonderment, as it finally sank in. “This is amazing. We’re so there. Oh god. So many good movies. And everyone cool is going to be there. Plus I’m gonna see Jensen. Like really see him, in the flesh. Fuck. I bet he’s even better looking in person. Oh! I so want to ask him about that scene in Roarrrrr,” and here Jared’s hands suddenly appeared up by his head, fingers spread out and bent crookedly in a pitiful imitation of jagged bear claws of doom, “You remember, that one where he freaking wrestled that bear. Man it looked so real and I’d have been way to scared to do that when only wearing swimming trunks and he was just so brave and I’ve got to tell him just how good his performances are. You know he’s such a subtle actor, his performances are amazingly understated, with everything about his characters revealed by his eyes but you can totally see how he’s always right there in the moment…”

“Jared. Breathe.”

“Er…Yeah.” Jared visibly relaxed himself by running his hands through his shaggy hair and taking some nice deep breaths. “Sorry. This is just…I mean…It’s…I’m just so excited.”

“And not without reason, bitch. So, you up for the whole thing? I pretty much want to see everyone there. I can go and get us tickets this afternoon and you can pay me back for your half later”

“That sounds good, man and, yeah, of course I wanna see all of it. I only hope to God they haven’t sold out. But, shit, the store!”

“What?” Chad looked a little nonplussed at Jared’s non sequitur.

“I work, dumbass. Remember? Every weekend at the store.”

“Well, get out of it dude,” replied Chad like he couldn’t believe Jared was creating such a big problem that couldn’t be resolved by either lying or cheating. “I’m gonna get me a full weekend pass today whatever, so call me if you can stop being such a pussy and make something happen.”

***

  
“Jeff! Jeff!” Jared shouted as he entered the store where he worked part time. “Jeff.” Jared shouted again when his boss didn’t arrive as fast as he wanted him to.

“Hold your horses boy,” came the gravelly reply from the back room. “And what have I told you ‘bout using your outdoor voice indoors?”

“Not to use it.” Jared murmured petulantly, while he rolled his eyes and scuffed his shoes.

As he shuffled on the spot, Jeff sauntered over to where Jared was. He was tall, not all the way old (but older than Jared), with a slightly grizzled, but kind face that was topped with a healthy head of brown hair. He’d known Jared since he was a kid. Partly because Jeff owned the only video rental place in town, and he and Chad had practically lived there in their formative years, and partly because he also covered some of the classes at Jared’s school when any of their regular teachers fell ill. Their relationship had become a lot less formal once Jared was in his employ though. Firstly because of the familiarity that close proximity caused and secondly because Jeff was a lot more relaxed about entertainment then he was about education and a more relaxed Jeff meant a much more fun Jeff.

“What’s crawled up your ass, Jarebear?” Case in point. Jared hated that stupid nickname, but nothing he ever said to the other man would get him to stop using it. It was down to something about how this was how Jeff felt when Jared had too much sugar, and it made them even, so he should suck it up.

“Jeff? You know how I’m completely owed holiday time because I never take any ‘cause you know I love working here so much?”

“Yeah,” Jeff replied warily.

“Well, I need the whole of the weekend at the end of the month off.”

“ Oh. Jarebear, I’m not sure. Y’know that Friday night’s are probably our busiest times and…”

“But it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Jared interrupted, before Jeff could talk himself into saying no. “And if I don’t get to go, I’ll die. There’s this convention coming to town for Fangoria and so many cool people are gonna be there, including Jensen Ackles, and you know how much I love him, and Chad’s going and if he gets to meet him and I don’t it’ll be the worst thing that’s ever, ever happened to me and that includes the time that Bobby Styles punched me in the face when I wouldn’t give him my lunch-money. So you see why I have to go and I can’t work because it’s on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”

Jeff looked a little nonplussed for a minute, once Jared’s diatribe had finally petered off. “If I don’t say yes, just how whiny and irritating are you going to be, boy?”

“Infinitely,” replied Jared with a smirk. “C’mon, You know you want to say yes. Please. Please Jeff. Pretty please with a cherry on top.”

“If I say yes, will you shut up for a while?”

“I’ll do anything you say O Great One.”

“Fine.” Jeff said with pretend exasperation. “Put a note on the calendar and then get to work.”

“Sure thing, Boss.” Jared gave Jeff a mock salute and then hurried off to note his holiday down. As he was already in the office, he stopped to give Chad a quick call to let him know ‘Operation Go To Convention’ had a green light and that he should move his ass to secure them both passes.

After hanging up, he went back to work. Or at least he tried. But he was gonna be on tenterhooks for the rest of the day until he knew if Chad had managed to get them in and that they hadn’t completely sold out of places.

Eventually Jeff got so annoyed with Jared’s constant rushing to the phone that he huffed out that he was leaving for the day with a reminder that office equipment was for work purposes only and not to think that he wouldn’t be checking his phone bill in the morning.

Hah, Jared mused stealthily. Just because Jeff said he wasn’t allowed to make private calls on the company phone line during work hours totally didn’t mean he couldn’t e-mail Chad, because, damn it, the wait was going to kill him.

So far, in order to distract himself once Jeff had left, he’d de-alphabetized the teen comedy section and put them in order of funny to sucks-ass instead, hunted down the one copy of Vertigo for Miss Gamble who was his sole customer of the shift thus far, hidden all the Tom Hanks movies behind the Tom Cruise ones and gone to the toilet three times thanks to the incredibly large slushie he’d picked up on his way in to work. Everyone always deserved the right to celebrate good news with bright blue beverages, Jared thought. It was probably in the constitution somewhere. Yeah. He had to know right now. Otherwise he might do some work.

From: jared@jeffsplace.com  
To: chadmandm@gmail.com  
Did you get them?????

C’mon Chad. Reply already, Jared thought as he stared hard at the computer screen. After five minutes his eyes were watering from the concerted effort of trying not to blink.

Two turns of the open sign, another trip to the store and three donuts later, the computer finally made the little pinging noise that indicated a new message had arrived in the inbox. With some trepidation, Jared hit open.

From: chadmandm@gmail.com  
To: jared@jeffsplace.com  
TWO WEEKEND PASSES DUDE  
and because im yr “bff” – h8 yr sister btw - I got us extra tickets to a couple of photo sessions – yes jra too!!!

From: jared@jeffsplace.com  
To: chadmandm@gmail.com  
marry me?

From: chadmandm@gmail.com  
To: jared@jeffsplace.com  
not even if u had big boobies  
U R gross

From: jared@jeffsplace.com  
To: chadmandm@gmail.com  
WHATEVER  
you know you want my hot ass  
movies tonight – pizza my treat

From: chadmandm@gmail.com  
To: jared@jeffsplace.com  
‘kay

***

  
That evening they were probably the most uncool they had ever been in their lives. After flapping around like idiots and high-fiving each other every two minutes, they created a spreadsheet to plan and time all the things they wanted to see at the convention. Jared insisted that they color-coded their priorities for each time slot. Chad had pointed and laughed.

Eventually they finished their celebrations with two enormous meat feast pizzas, a few beers and the eight millionth viewing of their favorite Jensen film to date, _Twink Hunt_.

 _Jensen’s character is running frantically through the Filipino jungle, wearing the tiniest pair of shorts known to man, cunningly ripped in intriguing places thanks to them catching on the rough vegetation. A sheen of sweet covers the visible skin due to both the blinding midday sun and the exertion and his breath is coming out in short, hard pants like he’s just coming down from a rough fucking. It’s a good look for him._

 _Creeping up a short distance away is a fat, swarthy man with an overabundance of body hair and a lecherous smile on his round and jiggly face. He looks through his binoculars and tracks Jensen until he comes to a stop to catch his breath. Once he’s certain that the boy will stay where he is for a while, bent over and panting, sweaty man raises his crossbow and takes aim. As he evens his stance, a branch cracks underfoot._

 _Jensen’s head whips round to face the direction the noise has come from. A second later he’s running in the opposite direction. Of course, while he’s escaping, those teeny shorts get caught on a branch and are ripped right off by the velocity with which Jensen moves._

***

  
The first day of the convention came round soon enough. Jared was feeling on edge, which was kind of weird seeing as how he’d been wanting it nownownow for weeks, but now that it was finally time he felt a little queasy at the thought of meeting all these super-cool people that he’d been a fan of for so long. In fact he’d been so on edge that morning that his momma had only been able to get one stack of her pecan pancakes into him for breakfast and that just wasn’t right.

If anything, Jared was even more anxious by the time they entered the damn thing and the hustle and flow of groups of sweaty bearded men (because that seemed to be the only type of people there) threatened to completely overwhelm him.

So before they really had a chance to do anything, Chad had to calm him down by taking him out for some more food. When they were finally eating he logically pointed out that Jared had no need for any kind of panic. Jared was at least three feet taller than everyone there. There was no way he’d miss anything or get lost in the crowd and separated from Chad resulting in his name being announced over the loudspeakers as a missing person who needed to meet his friend at the reception desk in front of all his heroes. Chad was very good at putting things in perspective.

Eventually Jared entered into the spirit of things and the first couple of days passed by in a blur. In the market-place section they got to laugh at people debating with dealers over which was the best DVD release of a film. There were vicious arguments over what version of _Last House On The Left_ had the least footage cut. Impassioned debates about which release of _Dawn Of The Dead_ was the full extended version as this one had an extra two minutes footage but this one was slightly longer anyway but with only 54 seconds of extra stuff and heated rows about whether a release should be called _Zombi 2_ or _Island of the Flesh-Eaters_.

At the celebrity talks they listened and laughed along with Udo Kier as he talked about Joe Dallesandro attempting to be a communist farm hand in _Blood for Dracula_. Watched in awe as Jim Kelly demonstrated some of his famous karate moves and groaned along at Jeffrey Combs’ tales of censorship.

Added to that, they sat and saw films that turned even their stomachs or made them jump in fright. It was awesome.

Jared couldn’t think of another time where he and Chad had honestly had such fun. Actually, as special as the event was, Jared knew that it was the fact that he was getting to share this thing with his best friend that made it move up from great to unforgettable. Not that he was going to swell Chad’s head even more by telling him that.

But nothing, ever, could be as exciting as the last day, because Sunday was ‘Jensen Ackles day’. He’d gotten up extra early so he could spend a long time in the shower because he could definitely stand out from the crowd by not smelling of stale sweat, basements and beer, and he also needed to work out a little tension because, Jesus, would anything be more humiliating than getting a boner when he was getting his picture taken with Jensen. No, was the answer to that question. Unless, he thought, what if he got so nervous he threw up. Vomiting on Jensen Ackles would be way worse that any unfortunate pants tenting could be. Oh crap. He definitely couldn’t have breakfast this time.

One long leisurely jerk off session and a frantic wardrobe hunt later, Jared was almost ready to head out. He’d settled on wearing a pair of great ass-shaping jeans and a vintage _House By The Cemetery_ tee all finished off with some relatively clean Pumas. All in all, not too shabby he thought as he checked out his butt in the mirror attached to his bedroom door. Now if only he could do something about his hair.

Two minutes later, he gave up on attempting to tame his shaggy locks and bounded downstairs to wait for Chad to pick him up.

***

  
In bed, later that evening Jared thought back on how fucking amazing his day had been, all the while listening to the recording he’s secretly made of Jensen’s panel. Thank the Lord for his Mom’s old recorder from her secretarial days.

 _[Sound of murmuring audience in background]_

 _Jared: Christ, he looks good._

 _Chad: Yeah. You going ask him something?_

 _Jared: No way._

 _Chad: Well then shut the fuck up with your mooning. You’re embarrassing me._

 _Jared: Ass._

 _Jensen: Next question?_

 _Audience member: Hi Jensen._

 _Jensen: Hi_

 _Audience member: I was just wondering, which has been your favorite film to make?_

 _Jensen: Oh. Good question. Um…Probably ‘Space Station Sexcapade’ because it was my first one, I think. I found everything exciting, even all the waiting around. I got to feel like I was a proper actor for the first time, which was really amazing. Before that I’d only done stuff at…local and high school things, so this was a big change and a big deal for me._

 _Audience member: [Inaudible]_

 _Jensen: [Laughs] Um…Thanks. I guess I don’t…I don’t know how to respond to that._

 _Chad: Jay. You should ask him something._

 _Jared: What? No. I don’t have…Anyway shh. I can’t hear him while you’re yapping._

 _Chad: [Inaudible]_

 _Jensen: Okay. How about you in the checked shirt?_

 _Audience member: How real is the sex we see on screen in some of your films?_

 _[Sound of audience booing & hissing]_

 _Jensen: There’s your answer buddy. Okay. Moving on. You?_

 _Audience member: Hi Jensen._

 _Jensen: Hey._

 _Audience member: Firstly, thank you for being here. It’s nice that you do this._

 _Jensen: Thanks. It’s nice to be invited and be here._

 _Audience member: Cool. And secondly, I wanted to ask what your favorite moment of filming has been?_

 _Jensen: Um. I’d have to say one of my favorite scenes…Actually it’s more of a shot than a full on scene but it was in ‘Dead In The Water’, the horror film that Kim Manners directed._

 _[Sound of audience clapping]_

 _Jensen: Yeah a round of applause for Kim. He’s awesome. He’s definitely my favorite director to work with. Anyway there’s this bit, set in a river where my character has to save this little boy from being pulled under by the monster but it was also, y’know, supposed to be a very emotional shot because the boy is my cousin and my only living relative. So I had to act, not drown, and at the same time keep this little actor safe, keep him in my hands. But to make the struggle more real I had these two divers, one holding each of my feet and er…Well their job was to pull me under a bit as I’m trying to come up. I mean, I was fine and all the safety stuff had been fully worked out but to have this sensation of somebody pulling you under water, especially when you’ve got the life of a small ten-year-old boy in your hands and you’re trying to keep him afloat and he’s kind of struggling too... It was a little overwhelming and it was definitely unforgettable. But we got through it and it turned out to be an awesome shot. It’s all in slow motion and looks really dramatic._

 _[Sound of audience cheering]_

 _Audience member: Thanks_

 _Audience member: Hi Jensen. I guess my question kind of follows on from the last one. What’s been the worst shoot you’ve ever done?_

 _Jensen: [Laughs] Man, that’s hard to answer. Especially as I’ve still got to work. Um…I guess I’d have to say not the whole thing again, but there’s this scene in a film I did in Europe where I was stuck trying to act in a room full of frustrated and angry bees. I got stung in the ass. A lot._

 _[Sound of audience laughing and cheering]_

 _Chad: Jesus Jared. Stop being such a pathetic little bitch and talk to the man or something._

 _Jared: What? Chad? Dude. Stop fucking pushing me. Quit it. Seriously…_

 _Jensen: Yeah, tall dude at the back._

 _Jared: Oh! Um…Hi Jensen._

 _Jensen: Hi._

 _Jared: Er…I think you’re amazing and I always get real excited when you have a new film out._

 _Jensen: Thank you._

 _Jared: So, I guess my question is what have you got lined up next?_

 _Jensen: Um…I guess I can tell y’all now. Um…I’ve just signed on to play a character called Tom in a film Eric Kripke’s doing. He’s the one that wrote that Boogeyman film that Xena Warrior Princess was in. Erm…It’s called ‘My Bloody Valentine 3-D’ and, yeah, it’s gonna be a 3-D movie. It’s another horror, the script was good and pretty creepy so you guys should all like it._

 _Jared: Thank you._

 _Jensen: Welcome. Okay, how about you, the lady in the red dress?_

 _Audience member: [Inaudible]_

 _Chad: Dude. You spoke to Jensen. That’s so awesome._

 _Jared: I think I’m gonna vomit._

 _Jensen: Oh. Okay. I don’t know if you guys have heard this…Heard me tell this story before, but…_

As the tape came to an end, Jared noticed that his hands had slipped down to his cock, which he was leisurely stroking. Again. First this morning and now this. Jensen truly did work wonders for his libido.

If he closed his eyes and concentrated real hard on the memory, Jared was pretty certain that he’d be able to recall every Jensen moment of the day, especially what it felt like to have the other man in his arms - well…sort of…his mind helpfully piped up. How soft and warm and almost malleable Jensen was. And, oh, he smelled good. All fresh and citrusy but with a hint of something sweet underneath.

Jesus, that photo-op was Jared’s idea of heaven and the more he thought of it, the harder and faster he pumped until, finally, with a loud inelegant grunt, he came all over himself.

For such a small man, Chad had been surprisingly adept at blocking his run for the exit, turning him round and pushing him into the line for the photo-op session. His motivational speech of, “Stop being such a fucking baby,” worked so well that Jared didn’t even think about what he was doing until he stepped into the adjoining room and saw the magnificent Adonis, incandescent under the photographer’s bright lights.

“Hey,” Jensen said.

“Hi.”

“How’s it going?”

“Oh! Good. Um…you?”

“Yeah. Yeah. Fine,” Jensen said with that tone of uncomfortableness that only arises during strained small talk.

Looking at the other man in all his shyness, he felt something flutter in his gut and that gave him a confidence he normally never would have had, especially not when faced with the man of his dreams.

“In three” the photographer shouted over the general hubbub of noise.

“I’m going to write you a great movie one day,” Jared announced firmly while moving a little more into Jensen’s space and putting his arm around the smaller man.

Jensen was as stiff as a board, his eyes a little widened with panic and a blush colored his cheeks when he looked up to Jared in surprise. Jared thought it was the sweetest thing he’d ever seen. He turned his head and smiled into the flashing camera.

Now he had a promise to keep and something to work towards. After he washed his come covered hands.

  


Intermission

Jared hadn’t been lying when he said he was going to write a script for Jensen. If truth be told, he had been working on honing his craft and all that, even back then. It had started off by writing scenes that he’d love to see on the screen or that he felt were missing from the movies he saw and somewhere along the line it had developed from ‘this is fun’ to ‘this is something I’m pretty good at and how awesome would it be to do this for a living’ with a little add on that it was probably a great way to meet all the good looking boys.

He’d taken a few night courses at the local community college, creative writing, scriptwriting and so on and even, one time, a directing master-class where he got to play with a camera and make a short film. Chad had volunteered to be his producer (read: slave) and he surprised both of them with his ability to get things done instead of just being an ass. That had kind of weirded them both out.

His folks were so pleased to see him excited over something that wasn’t sitting on his ass, eating food and watching movies and that he stuck to for more than five minutes, that they even bought him his own video camera for one of his birthdays. Jeff also helped by giving him extra time off work to play with his new toy and in no time at all he’d started making some short films. Chad, with his freakish superhuman business acumen, even managed to get them played at the local downtown theater at the start of visiting Hollywood blockbusters.

A year after that, he and Chad made the move to LA where they managed to afford a shitty two bedroom apartment in Pomona. They both had to work lame jobs to afford the rent, Chad in phone sales, himself in a grocery store, but they were relatively unstressful. It gave them enough to live on plus extra for treats like the occasional trip to the local bar and, more importantly, a games console on which they merrily whiled away the hours in friendly competition. Of course it wasn’t all fun and games. The set hours they worked also meant free time could be, and was, planned to ensure maximum allotted space for doing whatever they needed to do to become Hollywood hotshots. And do it they did.

Main Feature Part 2

  
Five years later

REVIEWS FOR JARAD PADALECKI’S MONDO MACABRE

“…From the masterfully rambling opening gambit, Padalecki’s talent for dialogue is evident.”  
Jeff Dawson – Empire [UK]

“Former video store clerk Jared Padalecki’s directorial debut is a brutally funny, fantastically violent and supercharged introduction to his supremely distinct cinematic vision. I say distinct because, even though you can see evidence of his love for Bava, Argento and all those other low-budget giallo directors, this film is meshed so seamlessly with American culture that it transcends the genre to become a whole new beast.”  
Peter Travers – Rolling Stone

“I honestly can’t remember the last time a movie got me so excited about the possibilities that could happen if you just got together a little bit of money, some damn fine actors, a few buckets of fake blood and some beautifully profane dialogue.”  
Ty Burr – Boston Globe

“…[Padalecki] may have almost single-handedly rejuvenated the American independent film industry.”  
Manhola Dargiss – New York Times

“Padalecki’s unique combination of blood-lust and black humor means that an otherwise small story about some Hollywood murders could become one of the most influential movies of the decade.”  
Ethan Allen – Film Journal International

***

  
JARED PADALECKI INTERVIEW  
MOVIE MAKER MAGAZINE talks to the director of new hit movie Mondo Macabre  
By Jennifer M. Wood

Once upon a time nobody had ever heard of Jared Padalecki. When we hooked up with him, he had only just released his first feature to a handful of screens in a handful of cities. But since then something magical has happened. Fantastic word-of-mouth reviews have spread from person to person, critic to reader and so forth, about what a great movie this was, about what a great new talent this kid showed, about how hip and funny a film could be. Pretty soon this film was playing on nearly every big screen in the western world and even a few outside of that. For a movie that only cost $3 million to make, it is doing pretty good.

Gigantic in personality as well as stature, the young Texan is as amusing as you’d expect but what you might not know is that he may well be the latest contender for the title of Nicest Guy In Hollywood.

 _What were you thoughts when you first finished your script for Mondo Macabre? It’s not your usual movie fare?_  
That’s so weird, I mean, because for me it totally is. I grew up watching horror flicks and that kinda mutated into seeing all these weird and wonderful movies from around the world. Actually, compared to them, mine’s pretty tame. There’s no killer fungi or cock monsters for a start. But, I guess, I knew this one was good. I’m not saying that to be big headed because I’ve written plenty of scripts where at the end all I could say about myself was that I stunk. But this one just felt right, y’know?

 _It’s quite a big step to going from having a script to having Michael Rosenbaum pick it up and decide not only was he going to star in it but he was going to help produce and finance it as well. How did that come about?_  
Oh man. That’s such a cool story, although I’m only telling it now because I know the people involved have talked about it to the press recently. My buddy Chad, who’s the main producer of the film, was going out with this girl and then suddenly he found himself being arrested because it turned out she was only seventeen. He hadn’t touched her, so that was all good, but while he was in lock up he met this drunk dude, Dave, and the two of them became tight. So anyway, Chad went to one of this guy’s parties and Mike was there because his ex-boyfriend used to be roommates with Dave. So Chad got completely drunk, touched Mike up for his number and stuff and generally acted like an ass according to all accounts. But it worked because when I sent my script to Mike he totally remembered Chad and thought he was funny, so he gave the script a go. He called me back two days later to say that he wanted to do it and the rest was history. It was actually Mike, with Chad’s help of course, that got all the funding arranged through his contacts, which was amazing because I’d been sweating like a whore in church when worrying about that. He also got Tom Welling involved. I think he wanted to impress him as they’d only just started dating at the time.

 _Was it an easy process to get the film made after that?_  
Yeah. I mean we did it in 30 days, which is pretty quick. In fact the only delays we had were caused by all of us having hangovers from hanging out too much. I’ll tell you, Rosenbaum is an insane party monster.

 _Once the film was completed, you took it to the Sundance Film Festival. How quickly did it get picked up?_  
To be honest, that whole thing was a bit of a blur for me because I was pretty freaked out. Chad’s theory was that if we “acted like cock-teases” and showed the film to everyone, before accepting offers, we’d do pretty good. And much as it pains me to say it, he was right and we got a ridiculous amount of money from Miramax. I think that was all done in about a week.

 _Your film is pretty violent. Were you ever asked to tone it down?_  
No. I mean, Chad and I grew up together so we have exactly the same film tastes and he was one hundred percent for the gore. In fact, I know he wanted me to put more in. Rosenbaum just found it funny so there were no problems there. Tom was a bit more squeamish but pretty early on I had him and some of the other cast members, like Alexis Bledel and Milo Ventimiglia, over and showed them some of the Italian movies that inspired me and they completely got it. Miramax didn’t ask for any changes, which was cool because I don’t think I would have done it.

 _You’re film is very dialogue heavy and full of pop culture references. There’s a particularly long scene between Tom and Mike’s characters where they argue over their favorite Jensen Ackles movie. Is there any significance to that or any of the other references?_  
I’m not sure how to answer that. Sure they’re all significant, at least to me and probably to my buds back home. The Jensen thing, well, that’s an argument I often have with Chad. We’re both huge fans of his. When I was working at the video store, we’d both get so excited when a new film he was starring in would arrive. And not just because he’s so ridiculously good looking, but I think he’s a truly amazing and under-appreciated actor. I think we disagreed because I had a huge crush on him so maybe I favored the films where he wore less clothes and Chad always liked the ones where he’d get revenge for something by fucking shit up. Maybe by putting his name out there two things will happen. One is that people might go back to watch his movies and find out about him – which y’all definitely should. And two, maybe his agent will contact me because I so wanna work with him. The other things are in there for the same reason. I love kung-fu films and all the old drive-in classics and I want to share that with the other movie geeks. It’s my tip of the hat to them and I think there’s more of us out there than people realize. Hah, and maybe I’ll convert a few more.

 _You didn’t come out as being gay until after the film was released. Was there a reason for that?_  
I guess I just didn’t want it to be an issue when people were reviewing my film. I’m not ashamed or embarrassed about being gay, but in Hollywood, as soon as you say you are, you get this label of New Queer Cinema attached to your work and this happened to directors like Gregg Araki and Todd Haynes and so they all get lumped together no matter how different they are as filmmakers and I didn’t want that to happen. I wanted to know what people thought of my film, not my sexuality.

 _Have you got anything planned next and can you tell us about it?_  
Yes and no. Nah, I’m joking. I’ve just finished my new one which is a ‘gangsters verses gangsters’ thing but in actuality, deep down, it’s a samurai type movie and I think I may have included the highest gun count ever known on screen. Also I’m writing this very cool script at he moment that’s like those really gritty and nasty 1970’s revenge movies like _They Call Her One-Eye_ or _I Spit on Your Grave_ , except this one’s about the boys getting hurt instead. I’m an equal-opportunity on-screen killer. But the other day I managed to write a training montage into the script and it absolutely made me laugh, so it probably won’t end up all that dark. My assistant, she reads my stuff as I go along now, was all like ‘Jared, why’s an old Chinese man suddenly popping up in the story’. She definitely didn’t get it and was just looking at me like I was crazy because the idea just made me laugh so much I snotted out my nose. But I think that is a story where you had to be there or, y’know, be me.

[](http://mm.madbrilliant.com/CPWM/ComePlayWithMe_MMM1.png) [](http://mm.madbrilliant.com/CPWM/ComePlayWithMe_MMM2.png)

***

  
“Good afternoon. Jared Padalecki’s office. How can I help?”

Once Jared had heard his personal assistant pick up the phone, he tried to get his mind back into his script. He was so close to finishing, but it was driving him nuts that he just wasn’t getting the closing beats.

He gave up trying to concentrate and instead listened in on Sandy, who was making these weird squeaking sounds at whoever was on the other end of the line. God, he loved that girl. In a totally platonic way of course because he was all about the cock.

“Uh huh…Okay…Sure. Just let me see if he’s available. I’ll put you on hold for a minute.”

The sound of clomping heels could be heard as Sandy McCoy, tiny office genius, jumped off her seat and practically catapulted herself into Jared’s inner sanctum.

“Jared. Jared,” she shouted as she maniacally signaled for his attention, which was just odd, as he was looking right at her. “I’ve got Christian Kane on the phone for you.”

“Who? Can I just call him back later?”

“Jared, I’ve got Christian Kane on the phone for you, “ and here she left a dramatic pause, “Christian Kane who is Jensen Ackles’ agent. You really want me to tell him to ring back another time?”

“What? Fuck! No. No. I’m good. I’m ready. How do I look?” Yeah. Jared realized his supreme-idiocy the minute the comment had left his mouth and Sandy started laughing at him. “Whatever…Just put him through”

Jared tried to gather himself as Sandy headed back to her desk to put the call through. ‘I am a professional. I am a professional. I am a professional’ went through his head, mantra style, in an attempt to calm himself down. Of course it completely didn’t help once the phone on his desk bleeped. Once. Twice. Three times. A big deep breath and finally Jared was able to pick up the receiver.

“Hello.”

“Jared. It’s me Sandy. I’m doing this properly. Pretend I’m announcing him.”

“Er…Okay.”

“Great. I’ll put him through.”

“Hello. Jared speaking.” Good job sounding calm, he thought as he mentally patted himself on the back.

“Hey,” came a low Southern drawl from the other end of the line. “I guess the lady I spoke to told you who I was. I hear you wanna work with my boy.”

“Your boy?” Jared questioned even as he felt his heart drop. Which was stupid. Okay, so yeah, he knew from an interview years back that Jensen liked the man sex, but that did not mean he was free and single and that once Jensen met him again he would fall in love with Jared, adopt third-world babies with him and live happily ever after. Jared knew that wasn’t going to happen. Honestly. He did. So he shouldn’t be disappointed to hear Jensen was involved. After all who could resist that perfect and wonderful face?

“Jensen. Don’t pay it no mind. Just a turn of phrase ‘cos I’ve pretty much looked after that kid since he was just into his twenties.” A low chuckle followed this. “You better not tell him I called him that.”

“Er…Okay?” he managed to get out while his mind flopped in relief.

“So…um…to get down to it, I’ve been hearing that you want Jensen for your next film.” It was a statement, not a question.

Okay. This was it. The moment Jared had been waiting for since he was a gawky teenager, sitting on his sofa watching ‘Devour’ for the first time. He was going to play it smart and he was going to play it cool. “I sure do. I’ve got two scripts on the go. One of them, this sort of gangster samurai film, is pretty much finished and it’s going to be the next one I shoot, and it’s got a role that I think would be perfect for him.”

“Okay.” Chris hesitated before he continued. “But you know he’s a little bit older now. He doesn’t look the same as he did in the films you saw. A few little crinkles on his face and stuff, y’know? So if the role’s for a pretty young boyfriend or something…”

Jared jumped in, eager to put an end to the assumption that Jensen’s part would be that of some kind of sex-kitten houseboy. “No. No. You got it wrong. I think Jensen would be perfect for the lead role. The pseudo-gangster part. The character is like a samurai, y’know, all heroic and moralistic, it’s just that he’s poor so he’s had to work for these bad guys as they’re the only ones who’d have him, but they’ve finally crossed a line and now he’s got to take them all out. I think it’ll only be even better if he looks a bit older and more rough around the edges.”

“Phht. He’s still a bit too pretty for that to be the case. But the lead you say. That’s pretty cool. You know he’s a damn fine actor, just hasn’t gotten great chances to put those skills to use.” Chris mused, possibly realizing that now wasn’t the time to do anything but big up his client, seeing as Jensen hadn’t been in any movies for at least a year. Jared was starting to think that that lack of good roles may have something to do with the agent rather than Jensen. But Jared was the kind of guy who had faith in people’s innate goodness, so he was going to get to know the man better before he started thinking the worst.

“Well, why don’t I have my assistant courier you a copy of the script that we’ve got at the minute, you and Jensen take a look at it and then, maybe both of you could come in next week to talk with me about it?”

“That sounds great.”

“Excellent. I’ll pass you back to Sandy who will take your details and arrange everything. It was nice to get to talk to you about this.”

“Yeah. You too, man. Thanks”

Ten seconds after Jared had patched the call back through, he was jumping round his office like a lunatic and desperately trying to smother the whoop of complete and utter success that was threatening to break free from his throat. It was only when Sandy popped her head round the door to give him two thumbs up did he let it out, his fear of Chris overhearing now longer an issue.

“Best. Day. Ever.”

***

  
Jared was feeling ridiculously nervous. And slightly uncomfortable in the clothes that Sandy had helped him pick out the night before, where she’d made Jared demonstrate what felt like his entire wardrobe catwalk style while she sat, laughed at his collection of pink shirts and ate all his ice cream. They’d eventually decide on a smart yet casual balance that was supposed to say ‘yes this is a business meeting’ but also ‘relax, dude, I’m just a good ole Texas boy like you’, but at the minute he felt more like he’d opted for ‘hi! I’m a gigantordork, would you like fries with that today?’.

“Jesus,” Chad snapped. “Stop fidgeting, you freak. You’re making me nervous.”

“I don’t understand why you’re not freaking out anyway. You’re just as much of a fan as I am. You can’t tell me you’re completely cool with this. That you’re not feeling that little flutter in your belly…”

“Yes. I am,” Chad admitted while casting a pitying look at Jared. “But I don’t have the added pressure of wanting to get so far in his pants I’ll never come out again.”

Jared was interrupted from trying to think of an appropriately witty comeback by the sound of a loud beep from the intercom system, followed by Sandy’s tinny voice announcing, “Mr. Padalecki? Mr. Kane and Mr. Ackles are here to see you”.

After freezing in shock for a moment and then recovering thanks to a quick jab in the upper arm from Chad, Jared managed to press the buzzer back and get out a “Thanks Sandy.”

As he dropped into his chair behind his desk, Chad went and opened the door, calling out a friendly, “Mr. Ackles, Mr. Kane, It’s great to meet you both. I’m Chad, I’m the producer of Jared’s films. Come in, both of you, and grab yourselves a seat. Can I get either of you guys a drink?”

Jared heard the quiet “Coffee would be great, thanks” just a few seconds before the person that had uttered them entered the room. Christ! Jensen Ackles was still one of the most wondrous looking people that Jared had ever seen. Sure, he’d aged slightly, but the youthful beauty had transformed into something deeper and stronger and because of that, his looks were now possibly even more cruelly captivating. Fine lines were etched around wide jade eyes, framed by the longest eyelashes he’d ever seen. Full, pouty, almost feminine lips were contradicted by scruffy looking stubble, which just did something to Jared. The lithe body had filled to a broader, more masculine shape and…Jared needed to stop drooling before either of the men thought he was Jared’s slightly retarded brother or something.

He just needed to keep remembering that he was in control here, they simply believed him to be a royal film geek and not president of the ‘Jensen Ross Ackles fan club’, which he wasn’t by the way. Sure he had once joined, but that was years ago and it was most likely that, as he had never renewed his subscription because he couldn’t afford the $20, he wasn’t actually still a member. This brought him back round to just being the super cool film director well known for his love of obscure films. The internal motivational speech seemed to work well and Jared was able to bring himself round to the other side of the desk, only just now noticing the other man that had stepped into the room.

“Hey y’all. I’m Jared. Mr. Kane,” he said while proffering a hand. “Nice to meet you in person.”

“Likewise, but call me Chris,” came back the drawled voice of the other man, who was really short Jared thought, but nice looking in and of himself but when he or, frankly, whoever, stood next to Jensen, would always look a little bit unfortunate. They shook hands and Jared turned his attention to Jensen, again introducing himself and getting an almost shy reply in return. Was it wrong to notice that Jensen’s hand fit in his so nicely?

Finally they all managed to find their seats and after Chad had brought in everyone’s drinks they stopped the small talk and did some read throughs of key scenes with Jared playing all the other roles that weren’t Jensen’s. Jared was truly excited with how well it all sounded even taking into account his own ham-fisted attempts at acting. They then got down to discussing the characters and story.

“So, I was nervous when Chris told me to read the script and think about the main role,” Jensen said softly, looking down at the rolled up paper clenched tightly in his hand. “But, it’s a great role Jared. I like that the character is so complex and has all these issues on morality that he’s working through. Like where he’s learning there’s not just good and bad, but shades of grey in between and seeing where he fits into that and also where he actually wants to be.”

“Dude! Its so cool that you noticed that.” Jared enthused verbally, while mentally doing a mental high five at Jensen’s astuteness. “In my mind it’s absolutely about a man looking for his own redemption and not just judging everyone else.”

Jared was beyond thrilled to discover that when Jensen had stopped being so nervous and had relaxed a little, he had interesting and thoughtful insights into the character Jared wanted him to play, well beyond what was written on the page. What was also nice was that the more they discussed and Jensen understood that he was doing good, the more his eyes would lift from his lap to focus on Jared or the other people in the room. Of course it was at that point that Jared noticed that Jensen was currently aiming his eyes, in this cute little squint, at a place just over his left shoulder.

He was about to say something when, oh good lord, Jensen reached into his pocket, pulled out a pair of glasses and put them on his face. And if he thought Jensen was adorable before, then this was the highest pinnacle of adorable things ever seen. Cuter, and more tempting even, than puppies or even a bag full of candy. But then Jared realized what Jensen was attempting to see and then it was his turn to go red. Ooops. He’d totally forgotten about that. Well, too late for bashful now, he thought as he willed his embarrassment back down and pulled his bravado forward.

He turned round, lifted the small framed picture of the wall and passed it over to Jensen.

“We…We’ve met before?” surprise colored Jensen’s voice revealing a little hint of the Texas twang under the carefully controlled speech.

Chad snorted and all sets of eyes in the room swiveled to him. “I thought everyone knew about how Jared and I were the geekiest of the geeks in all the land. No?” he questioned of the blank stares he was getting. “Okay. Well, we went to a convention thing. Y’know with meet and greets and interviews and stuff. Anyway, you were there Jensen. Good times.”

“Yeah,” Jared chimed in with a self-effacing snicker. “This was snapped just as young me proclaimed I was gonna write you a movie.”

“Oh! I’m…” Jensen muttered quietly, “Those weren’t my best times. I don’t really remember. I’m sorry.”

“Son,” Chris said as sharply as the drawl would allow, “You got nothing to apologize for. You were young and stupid, but in your defense you were young and stupid.” He turned to the room at large. “Jensen had a shitty fucking manager when he was a bit too young to know better and ended up doing a few things he didn’t want to and that caused my boy to do some things for a while that he may not normally have done.” And here he mimed toking on a doobie. “If any of you have an issue with that, now is the time to speak up as I won’t have it coming back to bite him in the ass later.”

Hoo-kay. The little man was scary, but he would kick ass for Jensen and that was cool as far as Jared was concerned. With a sudden moment of clarity he understood why Jensen would go for someone who maybe didn’t know how to handle the business end of things, like selling and negotiating, but instead for someone who obviously cared for him. He wondered what kind of incidents of being forced to do things Chris was referring too and then had to wonder how he could feel protectiveness well up in his gut so strongly for a man he had only met twice. Besides, who hadn’t done a little pot now and then? Big deal.

“I want Jensen,” Jared decisively stated glad that no one but Chad knew the other meaning behind that statement. “For the film,” he clarified when Chris shot him another glare anyway.

“Jensen,” he continued, but more softly now, and turned to give his full attention to the man in question. “Okay, so this isn’t the script actually written for you. That’s long been consigned to things best not spoken about. But I genuinely am a fan of your work. Even when I’ve seen you in the crappiest of movies, you’ve been the one thing that makes them watchable. Chad and I have no doubt of your talent and no doubt that you’d be perfect for this role. So tell me. Do you want to be my leading man?”

And finally he drew a dazzling and genuine smile from the other man. “I’d love to,” he said.

***

  
After the excitement of the meeting, Chad took pity on the poor state of Jared’s frazzled nerves and took him for a beer at their favorite local watering hole that was one block down from their offices.

Jared loved it because the booths were roomy enough for him to stretch out his whole body, and Chad liked it for the endless stream of pretty wannabe-superstar girls that sauntered through hoping to relax after another day of not quite making their dreams a reality or the more gold-digger types that were looking for anyone even vaguely famous to latch on to. Either way, there were lots of fine young women for Chad to practice being slightly sleazy with.

But not tonight. Tonight was about letting Jared wind down and getting it all out of his system. Even Sandy could sense that Jared needed some bonding time with the boys and made her excuses after just one drink.

“But Chad,” Jared whined as he lifted his fourth beer to his lips to take a hearty swig, “he’s so nice.”

Chad looked confused for a minute before he obviously thought what the hell and went with it. “Yeah,” he drawled sarcastically. “That’s just not right.”

“Yes,” Jared bellowed triumphantly. “I knew you’d get it. That’s totally why you’re my best friend ever.”

“Dude. There’s so no more booze for you tonight.”

“What? Why…Why would you say that Chad? Why ya gotta be so mean? Beer’s my friend? Not like you. Hello sweet hops.”

“And that,” Chad laughed, “Is why I’m cutting you off, sasquatch.”

“Whatever,” Jared replied with an airy wave of his giant hand. “I’m not listening to mean you. Bring back nice you. The nice you who got me these fine, fine drinks in the first place.”

“I thought you were complaining precisely because people were nice.”

“Not people. Just Jensen. I’m complaining that he’s nice.”

“And that’s bad why?”

“Oh. My. God. You don’t get it. You said you did, but you were just lying because you’re mean. I don’t think we are best friends anymore”

“Jared. Focus,” Chad enunciated clearly. “You are drunk off your ass and I have no idea what you’re talking about. If you want me to understand you’ll have to clearly explain it all to uncle Chad, princess.”

That made Jared crack up so much that the little beer he had in his mouth slowly found its way out via his nostrils. “Dude. That’s gross. Never ever call yourself uncle again.”

“Not as gross as you. Now wipe your nose and spill.” He said while handing Jared several napkins.

“Okay. Imma gonna work with Jensen. Jensen pretty. Now Jensen nice too. Crush’s gonna get worse. Sexual harassment. Lawsuit. Die of loneliness.”

“You’re such a loser,” Chad muttered affectionately. He patted Jared on the shoulder. “There. There. It will all be fine. You’re far too nice to go about molesting anyone, let alone Jensen. You’ll deal. Even if you do die of blue balls.”

***

  
Jared was able to keep Jensen out of the forefront of his thoughts for the next couple of months thanks to the hectic schedule of trying to get everything ready for shooting to start. It was a process he loved and loathed in equal measure.

The bits that were a joy to do were the final casting sessions where he got involved in making sure the right people got the parts from the bigger roles still left, right down to the extras, whom Jared was particularly fond of because often they were as excited as he was at the whole filmmaking shebang. He also loved the other creative bits, the endless character discussions with wardrobe, the talk of blood coloring and splatter with the effects teams, thinking about weapons with the prop department, discussing rat-hole dive bars with the scenery guys, looking at locations, discussing storyboards with his cinematographer and so on.

The bits he loathed though…Christ they were dull. It was at these times that he truly felt blessed to have Chad, who for some reason, even though he was such an ass in his personal life, was remarkably good with other people at business meetings and Jared already knew of his ability to just get things done. He pretty much just sat down and tried to look like a tortured artist while Chad ensured that he had the right budget and that the studio would have zero creative input into the movie, including editing, and that no, he wouldn’t be taking notes from anyone on the daily rushes. Apparently, Chad once told him, these were the times when Jared’s inability to not be distracted came in handy as it stopped Jared from joining in and messing up any of the more delicate negations.

Of course that didn’t mean that when he finally got home at night and collapsed into bed completely exhausted, that his brain didn’t start to wonder from the minutia of his day to the direction of that perfect face. Even now that he’d gotten to know Jensen a little bit, it didn’t stop his hand from winding its way under his shorts to curl tightly around his cock. It only meant that tired and sated and covered in his own sticky come, he’d feel a faint flush of guilt going along with the nostalgia at having done the very same thing back when he was a fresh faced teenager in San Antonio, curled over himself in his childhood bed while trying not to make any noise so his Mom wouldn’t come in to check on him.

***

  
Finally they were ready to start the shooting process. This was what Jared had been waiting for and he felt ridiculously excited. The sheer joy of doing something creative that he loved while surrounded by people doing the same thing. And they were all artists. From the lighting team who worried about exposures to the sound guys who wanted to hear every word, they all took as much pride and joy in their work as any of the actors and anyone who said otherwise was an idiot. That was why Jared had hired them all, because he wanted the best, people that would be as passionate about the movie as he was.

And today was the first day of getting all the cast and main crew members together, making sure they were all comfortable with their roles and with each other and getting a good start to the collaborative process. Yeah he was in charge and yeah he had a vision, but it were these people that would make that come to fruition and they deserved an enjoyable, relaxed and nurturing environment to do that.

“So, hey everyone,” Jared stood up and flashed a large, genuine smile at the assembled group before continuing. “Welcome to the script read through of _The Blood Spattered Samurai_. I got to tell y’all, that I’m pretty excited about today. For those of you that don’t know me, which I think is actually none of you but it seems like a good thing to do and my momma was all about making sure I had the best manners, I’m Jared Padalecki, writer and director of this little film. I thought to get the ball rolling we could each introduce ourselves and say what our role is. Chad, you want to start and then we’ll just go clockwise round the table?”

“What’s up bitches? I’m Chad and I’m the executive producer.”

“Mike Rosenbaum. I play Detective Herschell West.

“Tom Welling. Detective Bava.”

“Hi. Alison Mack. I’ll be your cinematographer.”

“I’m Wentworth Miller and I’ll be playing Caesar”

“Jensen Ackles. Green Eyes.”

Jared’s eyes didn’t manage to move on from Jensen. Christ, he looked so adorable. All shy and hunched in on himself. Jared wanted to run over and wrap him in a big hug until he held his head up and believed that he was just as good as everyone else there. He let the other introductions wash over him as he tried to stare his fill so he could concentrate on the rest of the day.

His musings were swiftly interrupted by a sharp pain in his ankle and an awareness of a hissed “jackass” being aimed at him from Chad.

“Dude, what the fuck?” he whispered back.

“They’re about done and you’re still gawping.”

“Oh.” He quickly looked and saw that Sophia Bush was just about to introduce herself and that she was the last one. “Thanks man.”

“That’s why I get paid the big bucks.” Chad said looking far too self-satisfied.

Once the introductions had finished, Jared spoke again. “Excellent. I know you are all going to be fantastic. This morning we’re just going to read through so I can get a feel for how the dialogue sounds when you say it and hopefully you actors can all start to see what works for you. Okay. Any questions? No? Cool. So I guess I’ll start. Act one. Scene one. Inside a large warehouse. Day. Around one hundred men in black suits are lying around the floor in various states of dismemberment. Green Eyes is hiding behind a crate, holding two guns John Woo style and is covered in blood. Hershall and Bava enter the warehouse from off-screen. Okay, Mikey, Tommy, over to you two.”

“Man. This is some seriously mother-fucking fucked up shit. I don’t think I’ve seen this many fucking corpses since that scene in that zombie movie we watched. Y’know the one I mean. Where the annoying fella gets his eye gouged out on the piece of wood.”

“Dawn Of the Dead?”

“Shit. No. That’s one of those big budget, good ole USofA movies. This was one of those cheapo low budget Italian rip-off remakes. Zombie Grave Robbers? No. Zombie Flesh Feaster? No, that’s not it. Doesn’t sound right.”

“You know that you’re being fucking annoying, right?”

***

  
By the time the read-through was finished, everyone was clearly exhausted. Even though they’d had a great time and had lots of fun playing about, when it came down to the serious business these guys put their heart and souls into it. Jared was pleased with all of them and told them as much, loudly and several times, before he sent them all home for the day.

“So again, thank you. From the actors, I’ll see Mike, Tom, Jensen, Wentworth and Kristen tomorrow, bright and early, for rehearsals. From the crew, I guess Ali, Chad and Steve, you guys need to be there too. Awesome. I’ll see everyone later then. Jensen, can I borrow you for a minute before you head out?”

“Okay. Sure.”

Jared noticed the other man looked nervous as he approached and Jared mentally slapped himself on the head as he realized that he sounded a bit like a teacher asking the bad kid to stay behind after class.

“Nothing bad,” he jovially said to the other man as he got near, anything to wipe the apprehension off his face as quick as possible. “I just wanted to say that you did great today. I know my writing well enough to know all its good and bad bits, and sometimes, I guess, I’m too busy being funny or cool to get to the emotion underneath, but hearing you today, well you really stepped up to the plate for me. So thanks, man.”

A flush of pleasure stole across Jensen’s cheeks as Jared was talking and that almost derailed his train of thought completely. It most certainly wasn’t fair that Jensen could keep popping up with these wonderful mannerisms and not expect everyone and their dogs to leap on him proclaiming their undying love.

The “Thanks,” that came back was mumbled, accompanied by a deepening of the blush and a look down, while his hand rubbed, tiredly, over his face. “But it is all there in the script.”

“Ha. You’re a crappy liar but I appreciate the attempt dude. Anyway, I’ll let you get some rest for tomorrow. See you then Jen.” Without thinking about it, Jared clapped Jensen on the shoulder, a normal man-to-man thing he did with most of his friends as a goodbye gesture, oh the joys of muscle memory, not even noticing the new name he’d just bestowed upon Jensen, because suddenly he was only aware of a warm, soft but hard shoulder under his hand. A tingle started in his belly and he whipped his hand away. He fervently hoped that this time he wasn’t the one giving anything away by going red, but he knew he couldn’t help the smile that was currently swallowing his face whole.

And it didn’t go away during the time their gaze held or while Jensen mumbled a brief goodnight. Not even as he watched the other man walk out of the room and head to wherever it was he was heading off too.

***

  
And, if that night Jared went home and dreamed about more of that body under his hands, to match shy smiles and soft green eyes…well, that was no one’s business but his own.

***

  
“Okay. Boys and girls. Welcome to day one of rehearsals. The studio is only going to pay for us to do this for a week so we need to pull our fingers out our asses and do as much as we can. So yes, those of you who have worked with me before know that this is when I turn into one tough son of a bitch and…”

His motivational speech was cruelly interrupted by the sound of laughter. Jared whipped his head round to shoot a glare at the offender, but got distracted from forming the expression when his eyes were faced with the source of the noise and that it happened to be Mike and Tom, collapsing on each other, in the middle of a bout of hysterics.

“And, what, exactly, do you two find so funny?” He said impatiently, with hands on hips and a foot tapping for effect. And yeah, it was effect. Jared was far too easy going to get worked up about a process that was meant to be creative and fun. Didn’t mean that these bastards had to know that though.

“Dude.” Mike managed to get out between fits of girlish giggles, and don’t think Jared wouldn’t be mocking him about that at some point. “You’re like the least intimidating guy ever. You’re a freaking puppy. I don’t know why you bother with this.”

Tom whispered something into Mike’s ear and they both laughed a little bit harder. “Tommy. You’re a genius. And so right, I might add. It is a totally lame Severus Snape impression. Hey, Jared, where’s your wand?”

“Fine. Very funny you two. Okay, you can stop laughing now.” Seeing a smirking Chad out the corner of his eye, Jared turned and made desperate ‘help me out’ eyes at his friend.

Waiting a second longer than was polite, Chad finally stepped up. “Shut it,” he bellowed. “And now that I’ve got everyone’s attention, we can get on with it. I know its fun to mock Jaredzilla here. Hell, I do it all the time. But he’s right. We’ve got a week. And don’t think for a minute he needs this time. He doesn’t. It’s for you bitches, so that he can make you look as good as possible onscreen, instead of like the whiny little girls you are.”

His beady eyes focused on the assembled crowd as he spoke. “So to start we’re going to be looking at different key character scenes. Wentworth and Kristen, you’re gonna start with the fight your characters have. Page 73 in the script. Mike and Tommy, you’re spending some time with a detective we’ve got coming in today. Hopefully he can show at least one of you how to look slightly masculine while holding a weapon in your hands.”

“Hey!” shouted an affronted Mike.

“Suck it up. Jensen you’re doing general character stuff with Jared. Alison, do you just want to do what you want?”

“Yeah. Thanks Chad.” Allison smiled as she turned to address everyone assembled. “I’m going to split myself between all of you this week. I just want to get a feel of how your faces look on camera and such. So feel free to ignore me while I bustle round.”

Everyone then split off into their various groups, with a very excited Jared leading Jensen over to the food table.

“Always best to start on a full stomach,” he advised as he packed an astounding amount of different foods into a styrofoam container. Jensen cocked an eyebrow and helped himself to a simple black coffee. “Don’t be such a smartass.”

Jensen laughed and indicated to a table. “We sitting here?”

“Yup.” Jared said agreeably as he grabbed a fork and started to delve into his food. In between, or sometimes during, mouthfuls and then seconds and thirds, the two men discussed every aspect of Jensen’s character they could think of. Jared was thrilled, not only with the ideas but also with how naturally and comfortably the conversation felt. And they didn’t just take it easy on each other or settle within the easy boundaries of politeness. It was a truly exhilarating discussion where ideas were freely shared. From high ideals and academic theories on narrative and genre to bantering and squabbling like brothers. It was, all in all, a great day’s work.

“So tomorrow,” Jared indicated by waving his hand around, as Jensen dived to protect his beverage, “Let’s start putting some of the things we’ve talked about into practice. D’you want to pick a scene and we’ll work on that?”

“Yo. You two. Dinner. My treat.” Mike bellowed, breaking up the intimate atmosphere that had settled around them. Despite the mood ruining that Mike had just done, Jared was certain that he had it pretty good with Tom and therefore had no sincere desire to cock-block him, in which case the dinner invitation was genuine and Jared’s belly gurgled in excitement.

“Dude!” Jensen exclaimed in only semi-faked shocked. “You just ate like…your own body weight in food. You can’t be hungry again?”

“Heh. That’s what you think. My Momma says I have a hollow leg or something. And no, not worms. ‘Sides, I’m still a growing boy. Not as tall as my brother yet.”

“But, you’re a freaking giant.” As soon as the words were out of Jensen’s moth, Jared could see that the other man had thought he’d gone too far in the familiarity stakes, as his face started to lose its color.

Not wanting to upset Jensen in any way, ever, that he could help, Jared quickly let the smile show on his own face. “Dude, you’ve no idea. I might seem like Jumbo to you guys, but in my family I’m kinda the small fry. Weird ain’t it?”

Jensen had been reduced to just staring at him. “…” His mouth opening and closing, in what Jared thought was a rather endearing expression and not at all like a fish moored on dry land. Ooh. Fish. Would that be on the menu?

“Mikey,” Jared hollered. “Where you takin’ us?”

“Nate’N’Als.”

“Where?”

“Don’t worry about it, big guy. All you need to know is that they serve very large portions.”

“Sweet.” Jared turned to Jensen. “Mikey always finds these out of the way places to eat, that none of us have ever heard of, but they’re always amazing,” he explained. “You are coming aren’t you?”

Jensen still looked a little bit shell-shocked, but he managed to gather his wits enough to say, “Sure.”

The minute Jensen acquiesced, Jared grabbed his arm and manhandled him out the building. Mike had somehow acquired a full sized van that they could, and did, all clamber into, and the party atmosphere only increased within the confines of the vehicle.

By the time they got to the restaurant, everyone was in fine form and Jared was pleased to see Jensen had come out his shell a bit more and had joined in with some tentative banter between a few of the other cast members.

The good mood and bonding continued over the meal, which Mike explained was traditional Jewish food. Most of the time, Jared had no clue what he was putting in his mouth - don’t think he hadn’t heard that joke before – Mike kept saying words that could have been blinkses or blitzen or something, but he was drunk and slurring slightly so that didn’t help any anyway, but it all tasted good and Mike was right, there was plenty of it. All in all, Jared mused, a fantastic time was had by everyone. It had looked like Wentworth was a little bit too eager to talk to Jensen, but he soon got put off when every time he tried Chad would interrupt and take over the conversation. Jared really had the best friends.

Not that those friends remembered, though, when they stumbled into the rehearsal space slightly worse for wear the next day and were summarily pushed and prodded back into work mode. After several coffees, of course, because he couldn’t be that mean. And, no, it had nothing to do with the _happyhappyjoyjoy_ look that took over Jensen’s face each time he was greeted with the dark, rich aroma of the elixir of life.

And that was pretty much how it went for the rest of the week. Working hard during the day and relaxing together in the evening. Bonding and getting to know one another better. It was nice, Jared had thought and it showed that he could absolutely control himself around Jensen. In fact, the crush wasn’t affecting him at all. It wasn’t. No Sir. He definitely spent that much time with all his cast members thank you very much and, yes, he totally gave the rest of them that many supportive hugs. He was a professional, after all.

Yes. He told himself firmly for the billionth time, a professional. So what if Jensen was his idea of the perfect man. That didn’t mean anything. So they laughed together, talked together, started to hang out together. It didn’t mean anything. Right?

***

  
E!Online  
Hollywood Party Girl  
She’s (almost) always on the list.

BOYS NIGHT OUT?  
Seems like Jared Padalecki has been getting close to an unknown male on the set of his latest movie. Rumor has it the two were seen being very touchy-feely at an after hours bar along with Hollywood’s first couple, Michael Rosenbaum and Tom Welling. A double date?

[](http://mm.madbrilliant.com/CPWM/ComePlayWithMe_E%211.png) [](http://mm.madbrilliant.com/CPWM/ComePlayWithMe_E%212.png)

E!Online  
Hollywood Party Girl  
She’s (almost) always on the list.

BOYS NIGHT OUT PART TWO  
It’s been confirmed by a source close to the celebrity director that the unknown male he’s been seen getting close to recently, is low-budget where-are-they-now film actor Jensen Ackles.

***

  
Oh please, Jared thought. Just shoot me. They were in week three of filming. Jared had decided to shoot in chronological order rather than location order, because actors were precious and he loved them and this made character flow easier etcetera etcetera, but today he was regretting that because they had a whole load of small but technically complex shots all in different locations, including outdoors. And that wasn’t even his chief worry. No, that was reserved solely for the fact that today was ‘Jensen in his small briefs’ day – thanks wardrobe - and possibly, therefore, ‘Jared comes in his pants day’. Gah!

He looked down at his script and the markers for the scene they were shooting, just to see if maybe he was wrong. But no. There was the montage sequence written plain as day. The black ink mocking him as it shone brightly on the paper.

  


While Jared had been busy being torn between wallowing in self-pity and willing his cock to stay soft regardless of what wonders it was subjected to, the lighting guys had worked their magic, the prop department and set dressers had carefully staged the scene and the sound team had set themselves up. It was time.

Jensen came onto the stage and Jared thanked every deity he knew that he was covered pretty much from head to toe in a big, blue fluffy robe. He made his way over to his lead.

“Hey Jen. How you holding up?”

A rueful smile crossed the other man’s face. “It’s…strange. I know I’ve worn smaller costumes than this but that’s always been for shit things. With this, I dunno, maybe because it’s proper, but I feel very naked. Look.” He said opening his robe.

Fuck, Jared thought as he struggled to keep himself from both backing away or reaching out towards the half-naked man in front of him. Jensen was wearing tight black Calvin Klein trunks that most definitely did show up the curves. Jared could only be thankful that Jensen hadn’t decided to spin round to show him how they looked from the back. He tried to turn his thoughts to plagues and pestilence, in the vain hope of changing the direction of his blood flow.

Oh crap. Jensen was looking at him so expectantly. Was he supposed to say something? Now? Really?

“Er…They look like underwear. And you know, everyone wears them, except for slutty people. Slutty folks don’t wear them at all, but I do. And, hey, you do too. So kudos. To us. I mean. For not being whores.”

Jensen laughed. “Thanks Jared. I think you’re my favorite director ever, you always know what to say to make things easier.”

“Well, yeah,” Jared said, trying to hide his disbelief that Jensen had mistaken his awkward rambling for a comfort joke. “So, um, I guess you’re ready to roll?”

“Yup,” confirmed Jensen as he made his way over to the bedroom set and shrugged out of his robe. It was only once he was safely hidden away under the duvet cover, that Jared could breathe again.

“Okay. Quiet people,” Steve, the assistant director, shouted. “Act 2, scene 3, take 1. And…action.”

Jared watched through his monitor, knowing that there was no way on God’s green earth he could back away from that man.

***

  
It wasn’t just because Jensen was so good looking, Jared thought to himself. It’s just that they get on so well and Jensen knows, really knows, how to make him laugh. And maybe, Jensen has been looking at him too. He could swear that sometimes he felt the other man’s eyes on him. Not that he’s ever caught him though. Jensen had far too much ninja-like stealth and grace. He was like a cat. And besides, he got to touch Jensen. Like a lot. Pats here, hugs there, and not just casual buddy hugs but full on Padalecki-family-full-body-contact-bear-crushing-hugs and no one should ever get to be that close to something so wonderful and not have it completely. It was a tease. Or the supreme court’s definition of cruel and unusual punishment right there. No. There was nothing else to do. He was going to have to ask Jensen out and do it right that minute, before he lost his nerve and cried like a five-year-old who just had his best toy taken away.

God, once he had made his decision, Jared didn’t think he’d ever felt so nervous in all his years of existence. That feeling also wasn’t helped by the fact that he couldn’t stop thinking about how the rest of his life and maybe any chance he had at future happiness rested on the outcome of the moment and…Oh, god, he was going to throw up any second. Deep breaths. That was all he needed. To keep taking nice long deep breaths.

“Jay?” Jensen questioned as he came walking over, “You okay? You’re looking kind of shaky there. Do you need to sit down?”

“No. I’m good,” Jared replied, surprised that he sounded much firmer than he felt and that he was able to look Jensen in the eye. “Hey, I was just thinking about…I know we’re um…Working together and I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable and you can completely say no if you want to and it won’t change anything…It’s just that I have such a great time when I hang out with you and I’m pretty sure you have a good time too and I was just wondering if you’d like to do it officially with me sometime y’know? Like on a date. So…Er…What do you think?”

Jared continued to look at Jensen while Jensen stared back, his mouth slowly opening and closing as if any minute words would burst forth. But no. None came out and silence reigned. And it was the longest, most uncomfortable silence of Jared’s life.

Finally, when he couldn’t take it anymore because the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his ears was a little too much, he managed to croak out another “Jensen?”

That seemed to snap the other man out of it. He shook his head, as if he could physically clear his thoughts that way. It was so sweet. Arrgghh. No. Stop it.

“Um...Jay…I…I do like you, y’know. You’re nice and funny and definitely good looking and way better than some of the other losers I’ve dated, but I’m not sure…”

“No,” Jared interrupted the other man quickly before either his dreams could be crushed or he could be side-tracked by something almost inconsequential like how someone as perfect as Jensen could think he was attractive. “Look. I know it could be a little weird but I like you. And you like me, right?” Then he waited for the other man to nod, which he finally, and almost begrudgingly, did. “So lets just give it a go. No pressure. Just to see if we’re as compatible as we think. Maybe a nice dinner or something. I mean, you’ve got to eat right? So let’s do it together.”

C’mon. C’mon. C’mon. Get there, Jared thought as he put years of getting what he wanted into experience and aimed his best ever attempt at puppy-eyes at Jensen along with his least lecherous smile.

The other man let out a short huff of laughter on seeing this. “Fine,” he capitulated on a short exhale of breath.

Inner Jared cheered and did a victory dance. “Tonight? I’ll pick you up.”

“I’m not a girl, Jared.” Jensen said with a fierceness that surprised Jared.

He briefly wondered what that was about, but instinctively knew that now wasn’t the time. “I know that.” He gave Jensen an exaggerated and approving look over and, as intended, it served to lighten the mood a touch. “But I want the chance to impress you with my fancy yet ridiculous car. That’s got to give me bonus points.”

“Whatever,” Jensen replied. But it was definitely amusement coloring his features now and not the unhappy belligerence that Jared had seen a second earlier, so all was good. Phew, he thought. Who knew this dating thing could be such an emotional roller coaster and, to think, they hadn’t even got to that part yet.

“Cool. I’ll pick you up at seven, “ Jared said as he backed away because he wasn’t up for pushing his luck. “Fair warning though, I’ll be starving by then.”

Jensen, who had already witnessed Jared frequently wolfing down three or more helpings of food in one go, just laughed.

Main Feature Part 3

Jared found himself pulling up outside Jensen’s modest home at 7:00 pm sharp. All in all he thought he looked pretty sharp. Obviously not Jensen sharp but at least sharp enough to stand next to the man without people laughing. Chad and Sandy were lame-ass friends who wouldn’t help him if he was on fire and he really, really hated both of them and so what if he was angsting about the clothes for over an hour, that was his prerogative damn it, and so, yeah, he finally capitulated and called his Momma. On her advice he’d gone with a nice pair of black slacks and a smart, plain white button down shirt with shoes and not sandals. And he needed to stop idling and get out of the car as soon as possible.  


  
With a deep breath, Jared managed to unfurl his large frame from the driver’s seat and get himself out of the car. One hurdle down, he thought, eighty billion to go.

Next, the journey from automobile to door. Sure it looked like just a few simple steps, but Jared knew better then to be deceived by that. He could see at least five things he could potentially trip over, gravel that could go flying out from under his feet, not to mention the small creatures, well birds, that could fly at his face and mutilate him. He’d seen all of Hitchcock’s films, thank you very much, so he had definite reasons to panic.

Mercifully, Jared had managed to move his body during his mental tirade where he worked himself into a state of abject fear and before he could completely shut down in the middle of a giant freak-out, he was at the front door of Jensen’s small but tidy house.

A knock later and he was faced with so much pretty, his eyeballs went a bit crazy trying to look at all of Jensen at once. His hair was all sexy mussed and he was clean-shaven which made every perfect feature stand out that little bit more. Was it considered bad form to lick someone’s freckles as a greeting? Because that’s what he had to hold himself back from doing.

Jensen was wearing a form fitting green shirt, which brought out the color of his…everything and a pair of dark blue jeans that Jared just bet showcased that perfect ass off and those cute bow-legs that weren’t at all caused by things Jared wasn’t going to contemplate because otherwise his cock would be seriously uncomfortable during the drive to the restaurant.

Jensen, who had gone a sweet shade of pink under the slack-jawed scrutiny, coughed to break the silence. “Hey, Jay.”

“Jen. You look…amazing.”

More blush. “Thanks, man. You too.”

“You ready to go?”

“Sure. Just let me grab my jacket.” Jensen said as he reached behind him to get this sexy looking brown leather coat.

Jared grinned and did an ostentatious bow. “My carriage awaits.”

Jensen laughed as he locked his door and headed past Jared. “Give it a rest, Jay,” he jokingly whined as he headed towards Jared’s car. “Man. You’re right. You do win points for this. It’s a sweet looking ride.”

“Sure is. Purrs like a kitten too. Hop in”

The ride to the restaurant was filled with car chat and Jared was pleased to see how excited Jensen got over his mechanical baby. It was just awesome that there were no awkward silences or stilted conversations. Score one for the Padalecki.

When they got to their destination Jared had rushed round to open the door for Jensen, but stopped when he was greeting with a mulish and frustrated expression marring the handsome face.

“Jared,” Jensen warned.

“I know.” Jared soothed, backing away with his hands raised placatingly. “I know. But it’s not an ‘I think you’re a woman thing’. Honest. I just want to do nice things for you. Besides, my Momma raised me to have good manners no matter who I was courting.”

“Courting?”

“Yep.”

“Man, you’re such a dork.”

“Pfft. Like I didn’t already know that.” Jared left a pause, then worked up his courage. What was the worst that could happen? Jensen could say no comment? “So, can I ask what happened?”

“Huh? When?”

“Y’know, to make you a bit…That made you think other men thought you were a girl, that whole thing.”

“Oh. That.” There was the sound of a long sigh escaping Jensen and Jared could tell he was uncomfortable by the way he was rubbing his face, but he came to a stop just outside the large doors of the Palm Restaurant. “When I was about…nineteen, I was seeing this guy and it turns out he was a complete bastard, but I guess he managed to do a bit of a number on me before I realized it. And…anyway, he just tried to, I guess, treat me like the little lady and…it rankled. I don’t…I don’t wanna talk any more about it. But we’re cool still, right.”

And again Jared felt the over-protectiveness surge up in him. What was it about Jensen that just made Jared want to keep him close and keep him to himself. And it was not weird because deep-down he knew that you couldn’t literally wrap an man in cotton balls for the rest of his life, so his brain was not allowed to go there. “Damn right we’re cool,” he found himself saying in his best ghetto-fabulous voice. “We’re cool like ice. No, no. We’re cool like Ben and Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk cool.”

“Well then,” Jensen said with the beginning of a smile semi-formed on his plush pink lips. “That is cool.”

Jared couldn’t help but smile back as he held open the door and ushered Jensen inside. The maitre d’ appeared within seconds and ushered them to the small table that Jared had reserved earlier.

“Whoo,” Jensen exhaled, looking round once they’d been seated. “This is nice Jared.”

“Really? You like it?” At Jensen’s nod, Jared felt himself relax a fraction and gave himself a second point in the tally he was nowhere near dorky enough to be keeping in his head. “Y’know, they do some pretty good steaks here.”

Jensen’s face lit up on hearing that and Jared couldn’t help grin in return at the joy radiating from his companion in that minute. How amazing was it that he could make Jensen happy with just such a simple thing? Man, knowing that most definitely gave him a rush.

Opening one of the menus that were on the table, he found the steak section and passed it over to Jensen. “Yup. Sirloin, Porterhouse, Rib-eye, something called a la stone,” the last of which Jared said with a bad imitation of a French accent.

  


Of course it was at that moment that the waiter came over to take their drinks order. Jared felt himself blush even as he threw his head back and laughed. Although he was secretly pleased to notice that when Jensen joined in, he seemed more to be laughing with him than at him.

Jared was so happy to find that it wasn’t the last time he would laugh that evening. In fact, Jensen was fantastic company, a perfect mix of down-home attitude and a dry but occasionally childish sense of humor that led the two of them down some wonderfully fanciful flights of conversation that amused and delighted both of them.

He did notice that after the conversation outside, they stuck to fairly neutral topics like filming and sports, but Jared didn’t mind. He knew that this was just the first dates and that all relationships had to start somewhere.

Just after the main course (delicious) and before desert arrived (ooh apple pie), Jared was spotted. Never being the smallest person in the room, he found that his giant frame always drew attention but now he was famous, people actually recognized him rather than just gawped at the really, really tall fella.

“Mr. Padalecki?”

Jared looked up to find three obviously nervous-looking young women standing at his table. The one who had spoken was bright red, but Jared liked the way she just pushed through the embarrassment.

“Hi.” he said with the biggest most at-ease-putting smile he could conjure.

“Hi,” she managed before she had to give into the urge to giggle. Jared couldn’t help but notice one of her friends nudging her back in support. “Um…We’re film students at UCLA, and we were wondering if it was okay to ask you a quick question about your movie?”

“Erm…Sure. As long as my date doesn’t mind.” The girls giggled some more at hearing this, as Jared turned to Jensen and raised his eyebrow. He received a small smile and an imperceptible nod of the head in confirmation.

“Okay. Shoot.”

“Well, you seem to have created very much your own universe in _Mondo Macabre_ and in some of the shorts you made, that we’ve been able to see, so I guess, we’re asking, what elements do you think defines the cellular Padalecki universe?”

“That’s a good question,” Jared mused, taking a moment to gather his wits. He didn’t want to disappoint the fans after all. “But also kind of hard to answer. I think a whole lot of that stuff is just subtly done, it just comes out with the characters. Journalists always go “oh its so pop-culture referential” and so on, but that’s not me being clever, that’s just what people I know talk about and so, by extension, do the characters I write”

“But you’re a smart guy,” back-nudging-girl piped up. “I’m sure you get analytical about some of it too.”

“To tell you the truth, I do with other movies, ones I love to watch even, but with mine, well, I try not to get analytical in the writing process. I just kind of try to keep the flow from my brain to my hand as far as the pen is concerned and go with the moment, go with my guts so to say.”

He could see that the third girl was about to interrupt, but sometimes there was no stopping Jared’s mouth and brain once it had started so he continued. “It’s different than when you’re playing games or trying to be clever. To me, truth is the big thing, so you’re writing something and you get to a place where your characters could go this way or that and I just can’t lie. The characters have gotta be true to themselves.”

“That’s not something you see a lot in most Hollywood movies,” first girl commented.

“Oh yeah. You’re absolutely right and I couldn’t agree more. There, characters lie all the time. They can’t do this because it would affect the movie this way or that or this demographic might not like it. To me a character can’t do anything good or bad, they can only do something that’s true or not.”

A few questions later and Jared was having such a good time talking about his work, and maybe, showing off for Jensen, that he got the waiter to grab some chairs for the girls so they’d be more comfortable. Another few questions after that, Jensen quietly excused himself to go to the bathroom, while discussion reigned between them at the table.

Jared almost didn’t notice when Jensen moved to slip out the restaurant rather than return to his seat. ‘What the fuck!’ he thought. Throwing way too much money on the table and pushing his way past the ladies with a polite “excuse me” falling from his lips, because he would always be a southern gentleman at heart, Jared chased after his erstwhile companion. “Jen. Hey, Jen. Wait up.”

Jensen stopped and turned around. He looked pretty crappy. “Are you alright, man?” Jared asked, concerned.

“Yeah, Jared. I’m just feeling a little beat. Was gonna head home is all. Didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Interrupt?” Jared questioned with genuine befuddlement. “Jen, what…”

“You know, your little fan club meeting.” Jared watched as Jensen rubbed a hand over his face and then looked Jared in the eye again. “Sorry,” Jensen continued. “That was pretty uncalled for.”

  


Understanding rose in Jared. Jensen thought he was being pushed aside or ignored. Christ, think idiot. How would you feel if Jensen had asked a group of women to join their table. He mentally gave himself a head-slap. Way to go Padalecki and good job on the wooing front, dumbass. “Christ Jen. No. You haven’t…I’m the one who’s sorry. Y’know I…I didn’t even think. I was just so psyched to meet people who liked my work and y’all know I’ve got the attention span of a five year old with shiny things being waved in front of them.” Jensen looked very much like he was trying not to both agree and laugh at that comment, so Jared took that as a sign that the waters were clear for him to keep going.

“And I guess I just felt so comfortable with you that I forgot it was only our first whatever. And Christ, I am one lousy date.” Here he turned the puppy eyes one more to his advantage and hoped like hell they’d work again. Although if he kept being this stupid, at some point he’d have to just learn to do Jedi-mind tricks instead. “Forgive me?” he asked.

“Sure,” Jensen capitulated and Jared was pleased to note it was done with a small upwards quirk of those pouty lips. “But I think I’ll still head off, the tired thing was true. Y’know. It’s been a long day.”

“Oh yeah, man. I hear you. Well at least let me drive you home?”

“Um…Okay.”

The drive back to Jensen’s was the opposite of the journey they had made earlier. There was no conversation between them and Jared found the silence was uncomfortable and oppressive. Of course, that just made the cycle worse because if he broke the silence it would have to be with something worth saying and ‘ooops sorry I fucked up’ genuinely wasn’t it.

Although by the time he had made it back to Jensen’s place, nothing else had come to mind and in a moment of desperation that’s was pretty much what came out of his mouth.

When Jensen just kind of stared at him, he carried on regardless. “I do like you Jen, a lot, and y’know, I think we could be really, really good together and I’m so sorry if I ruined it. Did I ruin it? Oh god, I did ruin it!”

Jared didn’t care if he was going for the pity vote at this point. He’d do anything to not have this weird atmosphere with the guy who he just knew was going to end up being the best fucking thing in his life.

“It’s fine Jared.”

“So you’ll do it again, let me make this up to you?”

“Yeah, okay.”

Jared didn’t care if Jensen’s affirmation sounded wary. He’d agreed that was all that mattered because then he could fix it. Show Jensen that it was an exceedingly good thing for him to be with Jared. “Cool. Tomorrow? We’ll do dinner again? You still gotta eat.”

“Alright. But now I’m expecting something good,” Jensen half-joked as he got out the car. “See ya tomorrow.”

“Night Jen,” Jared replied as he rejoiced at the return of Jensen’s good humor. He was so going to go home and plan the ‘best date in the world ever’ ä, one that would show Jensen exactly what a good time meant.

  


***

  


Jared had spent a fair amount of time over the last few days being completely disengaged from filming, instead plotting how to make Jensen have a great time on date attempt number two. He’d come up with tactics, counter procedures and contingency scenarios. That’s how important it was to him.

Of course, the best laid plans of mice and men rarely go as expected, especially as not all variables can be accounted for. It had started off so well. Jared had decided to take Jensen to Carny’s, the old train car hot-dog and hamburger joint, on Sunset.

They relaxed over big meals and cheap beers. Conversation flowed, their laughter was free and easy, they were connecting and it was so good. Unfortunately, just as the atmosphere between them started to heat up to something new, a slightly inebriated Tom and Mike wandered in and refused to take no for an answer to their suggestion of ‘Tequila bitches’.

So that was how Jared found himself at one in the morning, sans Jensen, drunk off his ass and gyrating on the glitter-covered dance floor of a gay club.

“Hey Jared! Over here.”

At the sound of his name being shouted, Jared turned to his left to look and as he did so, a bright light went off, causing his retinas to sink into his head and his coordination to fail just that little bit more. Awareness hit him immediately, but the only thought he actually had time for, before toppling artlessly onto Mike, was “Fuck”.

  


***

  


“Oh fuck!” Jared sighed as Chad dropped the offending newspaper article in front of his face.

“Really?” he asked sarcastically. “That’s what you wanted to do last night?”

Jared lifted bleary eyes to gaze at the picture of him, Mike and Tom looking sweaty, half-cut, semi-naked and way too close on a dance floor, in the midst of some of the most graceless moves ever seen by human eyes. “Fuck.” He felt, at this point, it was worth repeating. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

“Well,” Chad started, “let’s just hope…”

“Had a nice evening Jared?”

Both Chad and Jared looked up in surprise at the cold tone to Jensen’s normally honeyed sound. Jensen’s usually pale complexion was white, quite white and he was furious. And worse than that, he looked like he’d been kicked. Hard.

“Look, Jen, I can explain.” Jared rushed to get in before the other man left, again. Except this time he wasn’t moving, he was waiting. And of course that meant Jared needed to talk to him, but obviously his mind chose that exact moment to go helpfully blank. “I…um…that is…”

An uncomfortable silence filled the air. “That the best you can do Jared?”

“Hoo-kay, I’m just gonna be leaving you two boys to talk…” Chad said as he backed slowly out of the room, looking for all the world as if he was trying not to spook a grizzly bear.

The sound of the closing doors seemed incredibly loud to Jared’s ears, but he was almost thankful for anything that could interrupt the tension.

“What happened to ‘I really like you’ or ‘I promise this time would be better’? That just a lie Jared? Something to say to get into my pants, my ass?” Jensen continued in that same cold tone.

“Oh god no.”

“Then what?”

“Honestly. I don’t know.”

“Wow. Well, at least you can be honest for once,” Jensen said with a sneer before he stormed out of the room.

  


***

  


The Huffington Post  
Entertainment Section  
Problems on the set of Jared Padelecki’s movie  
By Robert Barr

LOS ANGELES – For a week rumors have been circulating about tensions running high between director and cast. Both Miramax and Padalecki's publicist have been tight-lipped in response to inquiries about the situation.

  


***

  


Jared had to admire Jensen. It couldn’t be easy to avoid and, in the few moments of time that wasn’t possible, ignore the director of a film you were acting in, but somehow the other man was managing.

It had been a couple of weeks since their blow-out. A desperate Jared had tried to corner Jensen a couple more times after that to explain, but it was pretty hard when he wasn’t sure what had happened himself, so mostly he kind of ended up saying random starts of sentences for a few minutes until Jensen would look at him incredulously and walk off.

Jared knew that moping round the set like a big lost and broken puppy wasn’t helping anything and in fact, was creating a pretty lousy atmosphere on set, but he just couldn’t help it. Internal monologue pep talks didn’t work, lectures from his friends had no effect, hell, even the ‘buck yourself up’ call he’d had from his momma -following Chad tattling on him to her - didn’t help. In fact, he kind of got the feeling he’d depressed his mom instead. Way to go Jared.

He was currently seated in, or more precisely, slumped into his directors chair, nursing a glass of chocolate milk like it was a rare and precious aged scotch.

  


“Here.” A pack of strawberry twizzlers were shoved in his face.

What! He knew that voice. Hope welled in his chest as he looked up to confirm that, yes, indeed, that beautiful hand currently holding such pretty treats, was indeed attached to Jensen

“Now buck the hell up,” the other man continued. “You’re pissing everyone off.”

Jared was literally flabbergasted. He looked from the candy to Jensen, Jensen to candy. “What…I…You…” He looked some more. “Does this mean we’re friends again?” He held his breath as he waited on for the answer that could make or break him.

“I guess. Either that or I just couldn’t take any more of your moping.”

Jared let out a giant woop and proceeded to leap of his seat and crush Jensen in a gigantic hug. “Yes, yes, yes,” he rejoiced as he liberally peppered the top of the head held under his chin with kisses. Jared could only think of one thing this called for, a victory lap.

Leaving behind one very bemused Jensen, he proceeded to run a circuit of the set with his arms held aloft and shouting “awesome” at every person he ran by.

He finally made his way back to Jensen and with his heart on his sleeve he said, “Third time’s the charm”

  


***

  


It seemed that, for them at least, the third time was the charmed time. Dinner had been everything Jared could have imagined or even hoped for. There were no interruptions, no disasters, just two men having a great time.

The only time any awkwardness crept in was at the end of the evening when Jared had taken Jensen home and escorted him to his front door and who said chivalry was dead. Jensen was clearly spooked by the move, possibly worried about expectations, and had started to ramble, although if you asked Jared now what about, in all honestly he wouldn’t be able to tell you. He was too busy imagining their house with the white picket-fence, three kids and two dogs. Or something to that effect.

Jensen’s rambling got a little more frantic, so Jared did what any good date would do, and kissed him. It was a delicate press of warm and soft and wet. Not a lustful kiss of passion. Not a frenzied _nownownow_ of discovery. Not a mysterious hide-and-seek of emotions. Not even a press of intimacy. Instead it was a gentle breath of ‘hello’ and a tentative whisper of ‘can I’ that promised more if only he would be allowed. It lasted far less time than Jared would have liked, but a lot longer than he had hoped for. And it was perfect.

“You can’t come in,” Jensen whispered as he pulled away.

“I know. I wasn’t asking to. Today. But maybe...”

A coy smile graced Jensen’s face. “Maybe,” he continued in that same, soft tone before turning and heading inside.

“See ya tomorrow.” Jared said to the closed door before heading home.

And so it went for the next week. They would surreptitiously flirt on set during the day and then, after filming, they’d hang out together, going for food or for strolls along the beach, just talking and getting to know each other better.

Jared learnt that Jensen had left home when he was eighteen to live the dream of being a famous actor and that he had done some of his earliest work on the advise of a sleazy manager who, it had turned out, had only wanted to fuck him and that was why he kept getting the naked roles. He’d met Chris Kane at just the right time and saw him as a surrogate dad even if, as a manager, he couldn’t always get him a foot in the door for the good roles. He loved his folks but didn’t like their religious fervor and so saw them pretty rarely as he wasn’t often in the mood to hear that homosexuality was a sin and that he was going to hell where he would suffer endless torments endlessly. Just like Jared, he was the middle child and that when he did go home it was now mainly to see his siblings.

He found out the non-vital stuff too, the little details that only lovers or best friends shared, like how, without ever having a lesson, Jensen could fix a car, that he loved old Hollywood classics, rode horses, hated caffeine-free coffee, was good at golf, crap at Halo and Guitar Hero, liked to listen to classic rock, had been out with a string of assholes who couldn’t tell the difference between Jensen and the characters he played and that he was disappointed in himself for falling for a couple of them and he’d had sex with more people than Jared had.

In return Jared babbled about himself, answering any questions Jensen had and adding a whole heap of random facts and figures onto that.

It was, in Jared’s humble opinion, the best series of gay dates in the history of gay dates ever. And every one was topped off with that same chaste kiss that hopefully communicated to Jensen that he wasn’t just lusted after but also genuinely cherished.

  


***

  


The first time they went out after that week though, Jared could feel the change. Jensen must have decided, thank the lord, to finally throw caution to the wind, and give in to whatever was happening between them – love his mind piped up – and that, cliché or no cliché, it was fair to say the energy between them was crackling. Actually, he couldn’t really see the electricity but Jared definitely knew that if he could, it would be.

And yeah, that kiss at the end of the date, well that changed too. For the better. Outside of Jensen’s door that evening, instead of pulling away after a few seconds, Jensen’s arms came up around his neck and his hot pink tongue stroked delicately against Jared’s own mouth as if politely begging for entrance. And who was Jared to turn that away.

The second he opened his mouth for Jensen, right then, that was when he knew where the night was gonna lead. It was as if all the time they had known each other had been one long tease, forcing them to hold it all in until it exploded.

Seemed like Jensen was thinking along the same lines too. “You can come in,” he muttered quickly taking his lips away from Jared’s and then putting them back as fast as human motion would allow. That was either the best invitation or the most frustrating innuendo Jared had heard.

He pulled back and raised an eyebrow at Jensen, who promptly blushed. Oh hell yeah Jared thought.

Then they were rocking into each other as Jensen fumbled with his keys in the door. Not stopping to even look where they were going, they stumbled in as Jensen started haphazardly directing them towards the bedroom.

Fuck that, Jared thought as he banged into a wall for the fifth time, knocking his head yet again. Finally all those hours at the gym paid off, as Jared was easily able to pick up Jensen and manhandle him in to the right room, following Jensen’s garbled kiss interrupted instructions, and on to the bed. Jensen, goddamn him and his inability to appreciate a display of manliness, giggled at all the fake heroics and if that wasn’t the best thing Jared had ever been up close to witness, then he didn’t know what was. Jensen’s joy was contagious and Jared couldn’t stop a giant mega-watt grin from spreading over his face. Their laughter seemed to break the tension surrounding them, but instead of diminishing the passion, it simply changed it, making it softer and warmer.

He could feel the heat of Jensen’s body, pressed tight against him. Could almost hear the thumping of the other man’s heart, they were so close. But it still wasn’t enough.

His hands burrowed under Jensen’s shirt to find soft skin and instantly Jared was lost in the sensation of warm, soft, hard and lithe. These things became his world. Clothing was torn off, mouths and body parts were pressed and stroked and kissed and savored. There were the sounds of flesh on flesh, the joyous laughter of discovery and “yes, finally” and all the delicious wonderful noises, from ragged to ravaged, that Jared was able to pull from the man in his arms, each one going straight to his cock.

And if the priming and preparation were good, then the _ohmygod_ tight heat of being inside Jensen, watching the slip-slide of his cock pistoning in and out of that glistening pink hole, was transcendent.

It was in that state that he looked, really looked, at Jensen and, for one moment, it was if he was seeing two men overlaid. One was the idol actor he’d had a crush on all those years ago, beautiful but totally out of his league, and the other was the man that he knew as his friend, still just as wonderful - but real. So real. And with him, Jared. Out of all the people in the world, Jensen had chosen him.

It was that thought that did it. Jared gave one last thrust, and a final stroke to Jensen, and grunted out his release.

The next moment of awareness he had, he was flat on his back, sweaty and exhausted with the sound of laughter filling the room.

“Dude, you make the funniest noise when you come.”

The next morning, as Jared slowly jostled towards wakefulness, his senses were the first things to greet the day. Touch, sight, sound, smell and, with a small lean forward and a gentle press of the lips to the soft skin at the back of Jensen’s neck, taste – all roused and focusing on the man held in his arms. It was great to be alive, he thought smugly as his brain caught up with his body.

  


***

  


It was in that same state of bliss that Jared spent the remaining weeks of filming. Yeah, trying to act all professional round Jen was harder, but he gave it a good shot and if he sometimes slipped and got a little too close to his leading man? Well, screw ‘em. He was the director and what he said went.

It wasn’t like Jensen seemed to mind too much anyway. After all, he never pulled away. Jared noticed how, when Jensen thought no one was looking, he’d sneak quick peaks at Jared over the top of his glasses, with this adorable little smile on his face.

The only blip of tension came when they were nearing the end of the shoot and Jensen, thanks to the handy-work of the asshole ex, got a bit paranoid that Jared would end things between them once the film finished. Of course Jared, being the best most sensitive boyfriend ever, took care to dissuade the other man of that notion one glorious evening, in his own inimitable way.

“So are you ready to admit that you’re my boyfriend?” Jared asked leaping onto the bed and therefore Jensen at the same time.

“Ooomf,” Jensen managed.

“Come on. Say it. Tell me you’re my boyfriend,” Jared singsonged as he positioned himself onto all fours over Jensen, so he could lean down to that mouth for a quick kiss.

“Yeah,” Jensen exhaled, looking flushed. “I’m your boyfriend Jay.”

“Yes! My life wins and I’m awesome,” Jared boasted as he leaned down for another kiss while attempting to fist pump into the air at the same time. “I’m going to be the best boyfriend you ever had, baby. I’m gonna treat you so good. You’re never ever, ever gonna want anyone else”

“Huh. And have all your boyfriends been given that delightful name?”

“Nope. They just got nicknames based on their actual names. But you, baby,” which Jared accentuated with a bump of his forehead to Jensen’s, “You’re something special, so you’re getting the full on Padalecki term of endearment treatment.”

“Oh!”

“Any objections, baby?”

“…Mmpph” Jensen meeped when Jared launched into tactical maneuvers with a bite at that bottom lip followed by a full on tongue invasion. God he loved metaphors.

  


***

  


“You know I love you, right?”

“Yeah, Me too. With the love I mean.”

  


***

  


About.com: Celebrity gossip  
From Diana Mimon

Q. Are Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles dating?  
A. Are the Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles dating rumors true? Spies for The Hollywood Gossip report spotting Jared, 24, and Jensen, 28, on a romantic little dinner date for two in Los Angeles last week.  
The gay couple shared a quiet meal at Dan Tana’s on Santa Monica Boulevard and were even seen holding hands across the table. I bet that as per usual, their respective PR people will all fire back at us journalists with the same response. They'll claim that the boys were simply enjoying dinner as they discussed their current movie project. Jared Padalecki is apparently determined to rescue failed actor Jensen Ackles’ career with a big role in his new film, rumored to be titled Blood Spatter. Hmmm. I wonder if that was included in their meal…

  


[](http://mm.madbrilliant.com/CPWM/ComePlayWithMe_about.png)

***

  


“Calling cloud nine. Come in cloud nine. Cloud nine, can you hear me?”

Jared was pulled from happy naked Jensen thoughts by the sound of Chad’s mocking tone and the hand waving in front of his face. Damn him. “What?”

“You didn’t hear a word I just said, did you?”

Jared laughed at the look on his friend’s face. He guessed it was meant to be indignant but unfortunately looked more squinty and constipated. Awww, he thought as he patronizingly patted Chad on the head.

“Nope,” he said proudly. “So what’s up little fella?”

“Get off me, ass.” Chad’s tiny hands attempted to swat away Jared’s giant paws. Of course that just made Jared laugh and pat more. Geez, even just thinking of Jensen put him in a fantastic mood.

“Fine,” huffed his producer. “Be like that. See if I tell you now.”

“Aww. Chad. Why you gotta be like that?”

Chad finally cracked a laugh, knowing Jared well enough to tell he was just playing. “You suck. Anyway, you want to hear it or not?”

“Of course I do.” Now that Jared had stopped being silly, he found himself intrigued as to what news Chad could possibly have. The filming was all done and they were in the final stages of editing, so it couldn’t be anything about that. If it had been bad news, he would have noticed Chad’s tone, so it wasn’t that…

“I just got a call from the studio. They’ve been contacted by Gilles Jacob’s secretary to say that they want to show the movie in Cannes this year.”

“Oooh. That’s pretty cool.”

“Oh yeah. And they want to show it at the Théâtre Lumière.”

“The Lumière? Aw, hell. I’m in competition?” Chad nodded as Jared bounced around excitedly. “That’s so awesome. I’ve gotta tell Jen. Wait, we’re all going right?”

“Yup. I’ve already asked Harvey Weinstein to see if John Travolta will lend us his jet and pilot for a few days. That’ll be seats enough for you, me, Jensen, Sandy, and a few others. Unfortunately, Went’s already started another shoot so he can’t join us and I suppose you’re going to want to include Mike and Tom?” he added begrudgingly.

Jared couldn’t answer. He was still stuck on Cannes and Travolta’s plane. Life definitely didn’t get more surreal than that. Unless of course you were Travolta…

  


***

  


“Jen?”

“‘M not a fan of flying.”

“Huh. Stupid ass. Why didn’t you say anything earlier? Like, maybe before we got on the plane.”

“I dunno.”

“Okay.” Jared mumbled affectionately while he took his boyfriend’s hand and tried to rub his thumb across it soothingly. “Easy, baby. It’s all going to be okay. I’m here with you. Plus you can totally use my sick bag.”

“Wow.” Jensen rolled his eyes but Jared was happy to see he didn’t pull his hand away. “You absolutely know how to show a guy that you care.”

Eleven hours and one cranky boyfriend later, Jared and his entourage had finally made it to France. All in all he’d had to transport himself, Jen, Chad, Sandy, Tom, Mike and Chris. Definitely not a good group to put into close proximity in a confined space. Especially as by the end of the flight the whole lot of them were tetchy as hell. Not to mention that Jared was feeling his own bout of grumpiness coming on. Seriously, what with all the bitching, sniping, squabbling and vomiting, it had been like taking a group of obnoxious kids on a never-ending field trip. Well, at least they had a few days before they had to make the return trip. Joy.

  


***

  


Celebrity Crust  
Jared Padalecki Romancing With Jensen Ackles in Cannes  
Filed under: celebrity cupid, celebrity sighting

Hollywood sensation Jared Padalecki is finally going public with his relationship with Jensen Ackles. Padalecki and Ackles were spotted holding hands and kissing while having a walk along the beach in Cannes on Tuesday, a day before they are due to attend Padalecki’s film premiere. The two of them had made no comment about their relationship since speculation had started in July of last year.  
When the couple are together, “they’re very affectionate and very comfortable around each other. Jared really takes care of him, even down to the little things like making sure he eats enough and that he has his glasses. It’s very sweet,” a family friend tells us here at CELEBRITY CRUST. “Jared’s mom adores Jensen. She thinks he’s so cute. The rest of the family love him too. He tells all his friends that he’s his boyfriend. He’s very proud to be with Jensen.” Damn! Yet another hottie (or two in this case – since we’ve now seen pictures of Jensen) taken – Well wishes to them!

  


[](http://mm.madbrilliant.com/CPWM/clebcrust.png)

***

  


“C’mon. We’ve got to meet everyone at the bar, downstairs, in ten minutes. We’ll only have time for one drink before the limo gets here to whisk us away to the exciting world of film debuts”

“You’re not seriously going to wear that?” Jensen whined even as the blush started to conquer his cheeks.

“Sure I am, baby. One,” Jared illustrated this by waving a finger in Jensen’s face. “Free publicity. Two, you look so cute on it I couldn’t resist. I mean, two Jensens. How awesome is that?”

Jensen just put his face in his hands and slumped down on the bed. Jared patted his head and moved to stand in front of the mirror and admire the fine-ass ensemble he’s put on for the premiere. Sandals. Check. It’s only logical - there’s gone be a long walk from the limo to the screening, especially with all those fans in between, and he needs to be comfortable. Jeans that are actually long enough to cover his whole leg and not stop at the ankle. Check that too. A ‘Jensen Ackles’ t-shirt. Yep. He didn’t know what Jensen was complaining about. It’s not like he chose to wear the pink ‘Jensen Wins At Everything’ one he had specially made. This one was nice safe black and featured an image of Jensen from the film they’d made, so it was an incredibly good move for the movie for him to wear it. And to top it off, a nice black blazer because this was a big event and he needed to look a little formal.

“I think I’m adorable,” he said, turning to face Jensen’s prone form. “But you, you look ridiculously hot.”

He reached down, grabbed Jensen’s hands and pulled him to a standing position.

“Stop worrying so much,” he comforted while wrapping his arms around Jensen and pulling him in tight to his chest. “You are amazing in this and everyone’s gonna see just what you’re capable of doing and I swear, Jen, everyone there is going to fall so in love with you. But this t-shirt. This is my protection. It shows them I was there first. And, hell, it’s not like they don’t already think I’m a major fanboy.”

“S’true,” was mumbled into his shoulder. “They do think you’re a dork.”

“So, there you go. Now give me a kiss.”

One hot, sloppy and wet tongue smooch letter, both boys were out the door and ready to see the world premiere and in competition showing of _The Blood Spattered Samurai_.

[](http://mm.madbrilliant.com/CPWM/TBSS_poster.png)

  


***

  


“Dude,” slurred a drunken Chad, leaning right into Jared’s face. His toxic breath tickling at Jared’s nostrils in a very unpleasant kind of way. So it really wasn’t Jared’s fault that he sneezed directly into Chad’s face.

“Whaaaa-choo.”

“What the fuck!” Chad almost fell out of his seat. “You are seriously gross.” He wiped his face on Jared’s shirt. “And to think I was gonna tell you how awesome everyone thought the film was, but screw you gigantor. You suck.” And with that Chad turned his back on Jared to talk to a slightly more sober Sandy.

Chad was right though. The film had gotten unanimously fantastic approval from all in attendance. Even the generally more jaded and bitchy film critics had stood up and applauded enthusiastically at the movie’s end. Jared couldn’t have felt more fulfilled and proud as he did in that moment. Which was why he and the rest of his group were celebrating with copious amounts of booze in the aptly named ‘Bar des Celebrites’ at their hotel. Except there was just one thing missing that was stopping the night from being perfect.

“Jennybelly,” Jared bellowed from his seat. “Where’s my Jennybelly?”

“Oh Fuck!” Jared heard from somewhere to his left, followed by a slightly louder, “Who gave him liquor?”

The seat depressed next to him and he turned to see, as if by magic, his handsome boyfriend sitting right by him on the sofa. Aww. Jen’s sexy, Jared thought as he reached for the other man.

“Hands.” Jensen shouted. “Hands.”

“Random much.” Sandy mocked Jensen from the safety of the other side of Chad.

“He’s like a…” Jensen was interrupted from that sentence by making an inelegant squeaking sound that set the rest of the group laughing.

Ha! Jared thought. That will teach you to ignore me! Although the minute Jensen turned to look at him, all the mushy softer feelings he had came to the surface and all he wanted to do was cuddle up somewhere with his boy and indulge in some naughty touching. Preferable of the naked and spread Jensen variety. Mmmm. Naked Jensen.

“Hey! Grabby hands,” Jensen said very, very clearly. “What did we say about using indoor hands outdoors?”

“Not to do it,” Jared sighed, while simultaneously pouting and rolling his eyes and regretting ever telling Jensen about Jeff and his stupid sayings. “But, y’know baby, if you didn’t look so damn adorable when you’re all pissy, the hands really wouldn’t come in to play nearly so often.”

“Yeah, like that would…Hey! Are you saying I’m always pissy?”

“What?”

“Well you’re always all hands, all wandering all over me, is that just ‘cause I’m so constantly adorably pissy?” Jensen asked…pissily.

“What?” Jared was completely losing track of what Jensen was yammering on about. All he knew in his drunken haze was that he was horny and his normally very willing boyfriend was cock-blocking him for some reason even though they were sitting so close.

“Of course we’re sitting close Jared. There’s four of us tucked into this quite small seat.”

“Huh!” Jared mused trying to look and see who else was sitting with them, but gave up after one attempt because it made his head a bit spinny if he moved it around. “I guess I said that out loud then?”

“Un huh.”

“So, can we have sex now?” Because, logically, what else could they do next?

“Mrrrr,” Jensen hissed even as he went bright red. “It may have escaped your notice but we’re sitting in the middle of a bar.”

“Oh! Wait, a bar? Cool. I want Tequila.” Jared heaved himself upright and trundled in his own wobbly fashion towards the shiny man who gave out the drinks.

  


***

  


Jared woke the next morning to find himself half hanging off the bed thanks to what looked like a pillow barricade between him and the duvet covered lump on the other side. He had started to raise his head to attempt an investigation of the confusing bed situation, but was stopped instantly by the flare of blinding pain that had traveled from his brain to his eyeballs and back.

“Fuck,” he groaned, reaching up and cradling his poor aching skull. He stayed that way for a while, and kept himself busy making pained whimpering noises every so often.

At some point though, he must have drifted off to sleep again because he was suddenly aware of a hand soothingly rubbing his head even as the loud banging sounds of his own heartbeat were causing him to wince with pain.

“Uuuurgh,” Jared managed “M’it stp.”

He heard a soft chuckle as a hand bearing two white round, manna from heaven, painkillers loomed in front of his face. Too hung-over to move his hand to pick them up, he fell mouth first on to them. A second later his head was held back and some deliciously cool water was slipped down his throat. “Sleep,” the voice said. So he did.

Finally he came to again, this time to the sound of low voices coming from the other room. Blearily, he looked round to see he was alone in the bedroom. He sat up, gingerly, and noticed his mouth tasted like sweaty socks, so that meant leaving the soft bedded haven and getting up. Crap.

Thirty minutes later and Jared felt a hell of a lot better thanks to the miracle of a ridiculously indulgent and powerful shower provided by the hotel and the life saving pills his angel of mercy had given him earlier.

“Coffee?” he asked of whoever was in the room, holding his hands out until a cup of the precious elixir was pushed into them. “Mmmmm.” he groaned in delight as it slipped hot and warm into his belly.

“Should we leave you alone with that?”

“Morning Sandy,” He said as he threw himself into the nearest chair. “What are you doing here at….” He searched around for a clock and finding none carried on with “stupid o’clock in the morning?”

“Jay,” Jensen said as he came and curled himself round Jared’s side. “It’s noon already you lazy ass.”

Oooh. Now that was even better. Jared put his arm around his boy and drew him in closer so he could kiss the top of his head. “Good morning to you too sunshine.”

“Yeah,” Sandy interrupted, hands on her hips and foot tapping “Much as I’d love to watch you two making out all morning, I did actually come in for a reason Jared.”

“Oh. Sorry. Okay,” he placed one more sloppy kiss somewhere on Jensen’s face and then turned his attention to his tiny yet occasionally intimidating assistant. “Shoot.”

She was holding a bunch of papers in her hand and she passed them over for effect as she said, “Reviews are in.”

Jared backed away as if he’d been burnt. “What. No. I don’t want to see them.”

“Stop being such a pussy,” she laughed. “Besides, someone else, who we shall call…Bensen, for anonymity…has been waiting since 10:00 am to look at them, which was when I first brought them up.”

“Huh?” What was she going on about Jared thought. He was about to turn and ask Jen, when it clicked into place. These weren’t just his reviews. They were Jensen’s too. And for his first big-budget studio film that didn’t require him to play the role of someone who either really liked to have sex or who other people liked to have sex with. This was big stuff for his boyfriend.

Sandy obviously saw the bulb switch on over Jared’s head. “Exactly,” she said as she opened a paper and handed it to Jared to read. He took a quick glance at the page and instantly relaxed. It was all going to be fine.

“Jared Padalecki’s new film _The Blood Spattered Samurai_ ,” he read, “lands on the big screen like a bomb, destroying all of pop culture in it’s wake and then remaking it in its own image. It’s the least you can expect from the new magnum opus by the cinema wunderkind. What’s not so expected though is the powerhouse performance from leading man Jensen Ackles, hardly seen on screen in years and before that only in tiny low-budget features made in Hollywood’s shadow. Here, he is a revelation that shines out of the screen like a beacon, as captivating to the audience as any star from Hollywood’s golden age and able to stand shoulder to shoulder in his acting skills with any of the great method players from the seventies.”

  


***

  


“It is my great honor to give the Palme d’Or to…Mr. President?

“C'est un grand honneur que de remettre la Palme d'Or à... M. Le Président?”

“The Palme d’Or goes to Jared Padalecki for _The Blood Spattered Samurai_.”

“La Palme d'Or est attribuée à Jared Padalecki pour _Le Samouraï Éclaboussé De Sang_.”  
 

***

  


And as they walked down the red carpet together, Jared slipped his right hand into Jensen’s and with his left, held his Palme d’Or aloft. He beamed into the flashing cameras.

  


Lights up in the theater  


  


  
Exclusive: Jared Padalecki looks to the future  
PREMIERE talks to the legendary filmmaker about his new dark psychological horror Exploitorama and what’s up next for the most successful director in box office history.  
By Karl Rozemeyer

Writer/director Jared Padalecki returns to his darker impulses in Exploitorama, a New York-based crime thriller that explores to what length a couple of poor sisters will go to in order to get rich (or at least, get by) and what nefarious schemes those they encounter have in store for them. Comparisons will inevitably be made to Damaged Goods, Padalecki’s critically acclaimed 2012 thriller about the whims of fate and luck, but this time the onus is less on the tensions between young men and their mentors and more about how far family loyalties can be stretched before they snap. PREMIERE spoke to the director in Los Angeles, where he's currently spending some down-time with his husband.

 _PREMIERE: We didn’t think you were capable of not working. Are there any specific reasons for the break?_  
JARED PADALECKI: Ha. That’s too true. I’m most definitely bad at stopping and sitting still for a while, but Jensen [Ackles, Jared’s husband] had been away, overseas, for a few months so he could shoot some stuff for Spielberg and I missed him. I always thought I was cool with it, but my friends have recently informed me that I’m a nightmare when he’s not around – especially as he somehow regulates my sugar intake – and they threatened me until I caved-in and agreed to some relaxing, not just doing movie things with Jen in the same room. Not that I didn’t want to spend time with Jensen obviously, I just didn’t see how badly I needed it or that I should stop working to do it. Also I may have pissed Steven off by phoning his set every ten minutes to check on Jen. Sorry Steven. Drinks on me next time we hang.

 _Are you going to do anything specific during your time off?_  
I honestly don’t think I can answer that question in any kind of appropriate way.

 _Can we talk about your relationship with Jensen?_  
Sure.

 _At first it looked like you were good for his career, but since you’ve been together you’ve done some different things and retained great critical reactions to all of it._  
Exactly. I’m so pleased you noticed that, man. I mean, yeah, Jen got his big exposure from that first film we did together, but if he didn’t have the talent, nothing would have followed. Instead he carved out an Oscar-winning career and is constantly in demand by the most respected and the hippest directors. Although I’m still his biggest supporter and director.

 _So how did the relationship help you?_  
What people don’t seem to work out is that Jensen is utterly and completely my muse. For instance when I got all that praise and all those awards for writing the script for Soderbergh, that’s something I never would have done before. But I wanted to see Jensen act this overwhelmigly dramatic and tragic role because he can totally break your heart, so I wrote a script for him to do that and then I just knew that it wasn’t a film I could do justice to, so I gave it away. He inspires that. Of course, you can’t tell him or he’ll get a big head and leave me for Zac Efron.

 _You seem to have one of the few stable and long lasting relationships in the movie industry. Is that hard?_  
No. It’s easy. I mean, it’s Jensen. Would you give up waking up next to that face every morning?

 _You work with a lot of the same people over and over again, so you must have built other good relationships._  
Yeah. All y’all hear all the time is about how shallow and stupid people in Hollywood are. And I agree, there are some absolute idiots. But luckily, I just don’t seem to get involved with them. I mean, Chad’s [Michael Murray] been with me since forever. Mike [Rosenbaum] and Tommy [Welling] are great friends of Jen and I, we still like to hang out and it’s been that way since the first time we all did it. We just clicked. We’re all of similar ages, have the same values, similar tastes and whatever and they’re good people. Jen’s manager, Chris, is my chess-playing buddy. I’m still very tight with Sandy McCoy. She used to be my assistant but has since gone on to do some great writing herself. So yeah, some really good friendships and I don’t always feel the need to add in anyone else. But if, like with Exploitorama, the roles demand that I find two young girls, which I’m a bit too old to have inside my immediate group of friends, I’ll spread my wings a bit and find new people and I’m glad I do.

 _Going back to your films, one thing that you’re famous for is the breakdown of the conventional story. You've been integral to taking straightforward narratives apart and putting them back together in a different order._  
Thanks. That’s a pretty nice compliment. One of the things I'm proud of as far as my writing goes is that, even though I play around with the structure, I'm not monkeying around with the story itself and I like my archetypes. I think I’m a very good storyteller. But a story isn't having everything laid out for you in the first 10 to 15 minutes. It is a constant unfolding. In a real kind of story movie, if you see the end of the movie, but didn't see the first two reels and then you go back and watch the first reel, you should go like, "Wow, how did they get to there from here." That’s what’s cool and intriguing and keeps people watching. No one wants to know what the ending will be just as the film starts. It’s boring. I know I can’t sit still long enough to see a movie like that. What’s the point. When I was a kid, my folks used to take me to the movies, you'd just go in whenever and stay to see the beginning of the next program and say, "OK, this is where we came in." Which was its own fun but…after however many years Hollywood has been making movies I think we need more and that we definitely needed a change. It couldn’t always be ninety minutes of setting up a situation and then watching characters react to that situation. Dullsville. Unfortunately, that was the only style in town for a long time. But I suppose that not wanting to see that, led me down a really cool film path and I'm truly very proud of my films when it comes to that because they don’t do it. You do not know all there is to know for the first half hour. And if you watched Mondo Macabre say for an hour and ten minutes and then walked out, you can't say you saw that movie, because you haven’t and you’d have no idea of how things are resolved or even how they came to be. And I think that’s kinda turned people’s view on the possibilities of films and now we get to see some interesting stuff coming out.

 _What else are you most proud of with your career?_  
Geez. That’s a hard question. I guess, or I hope, that I’ve brought some respect back to genre movies that maybe the mainstream media were missing before. Also, that I’ve been lucky enough to work my ass off doing what I love for y’all. Oh yeah, and that my folks said they were proud of me. That’s pretty cool.

 _When you get people to discover these old low budget movies, some people love them and others say, “What are you thinking?" How does that make you feel?_  
Well, you know, different strokes for different folks, or whatever. The thing about it that is so cool is the fact that yeah, people try or they say, "Do you think younger people who have never experienced this before are going to get it?" Well, they don't have to get it. If you have to get it, then it doesn't almost work. It’s not a cerebral thing, it’s an instinct in your gut thing. You've got to be able to just sit down and enjoy it. That’s what Chad and I did when we were kids and it was a fantastic and amazingly wonderful round-the-world journey that led me to my career and my family. So of course I want that for everyone.

 _What do you plan to do after your self imposed break?_  
What I do best, make movies. Seriously, I’m going to do another movie with Jensen. I’ve got some of it planned in my head already because I decided I want to see him sweaty and shirtless and suffering humiliations in a Filipino prison before he has to seduce his way out. Wouldn’t that be an awesome sight?

  


[](http://mm.madbrilliant.com/CPWM/ComePlayWithMe_p1.png) [](http://mm.madbrilliant.com/CPWM/ComePlayWithMe_p2.png) [](http://mm.madbrilliant.com/CPWM/ComePlayWithMe_p3.png)

END

  


**Author's Note:**

> Massive amounts of appreciation go to siubhlach and moorspede for their encouragement. Thanks to ulysses3_de and lilbabiangel888 for betaing this into shape and to speedcat93 for translating my English into French.
> 
> gwentastic made the amazing art for this.


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